Annotated Bibliography

Theological and Biblical Sources

This book is a great guide to start adding adaptions to your faith communities.  I appreciated her use of scripture and stories throughout the book to emphasize her points.  Author is Jewish, but gives suggestions that can be used in multiple faiths.

"Sharing the story is an act of communion. The discovery of personal identity is achieved in social interaction with others, and in this regard, disability identity and its discovery is no different. The truth about community is that we need others to find out who we are. The way to find out who we are is to recognize the journey, look back from where we came and give account of who we’ve become. It’s only possible when the stories are heard. The most important thing for a faith community is to take on the task of advocating for careful listening.” Location 1,165

"But in the liberation approach sin is not considered as an individual, private, or merely interior reality—asserted just enough to necessitate "spiritual" redemption which does not challenge the order in which we live. Sin is regarded as a social, historical fact, the absence of fellowship and love in relationships among persons, the breach of friendship with God and with other persons, and, therefore, an interior, personal fracture. When it is considered in this way, the collective dimensions of sin are rediscovered."

"This radical liberation is the gift which Christ offers us. By his death and resurrection he redeems us from sin and all its consequences, as has been well said in a text we quote again: "It is the same God who, in the fullness of time, sends his Son in the flesh, so that he might come to liberate all men from all slavery to which sin has subjected them: hunger, misery, oppression, and ignorance, in a word, that injustice and hatred which have their origin in human selfishness."100 This is why the Christian life is a passover, a transition from sin to grace, from death to life, from injustice to justice, from the subhuman to the human. Christ introduces us by the gift of his Spirit into communion with God and with all human beings. More precisely, it is because he introduces us into this communion, into a continuous search for its fullness, that he conquers sin—which is the negation of love—and all its consequences.”

This sermon speaks on the importance of stories, how the carry us and create vision for us.  "this most precious gift: a story of liberation and a vision of restoration and inclusion as a result of divine encounter.  Those who have ears to hear, let them hear."

This book focuses on the bible, theology, and community of the church, and how we welcome autistic people.  Many of the ideas considered in this book could be applicable to other disabilities and/or marginalized people.  

"It is vitally important for churches and their leaders to recognize this: they must respond to the individual person and their distinctive qualities. At the same time, it is appropriate to speak of these clusters because there is a certain commonality that can be boiled down to a paraphrase of the definition cited at the beginning of the chapter: autistic people experience difficulty participating in the social and sensory world of the neurotypical." pg. 24

"Always, of course, the question needs to be asked: who or what ought to change, the autistic person or the neurotypical, or the world that they have made to suit them?" pg. 69

"Such a way of thinking about the imago Dei can be observed at various points in the Christian tradition, but can result in a view of disability that sees the individuals who lack certain abilities or properties as constituting "defective" images of God." pp. 82-83

This video focuses on abuse in the church.  The panel explores causes of abuse, prevalence, forgiveness, and justice within ministry and churches.  Mega churches are the primary example, but they acknowledge that this can happen at any size church.  

This is opening presentation for the Spirituality and Disability Symposium explored the definitions behind Disability and how they relate to Spirituality.  Swinton describes how we should define these terms using Clifford Geertz's descriptions of Thick and Thin definitions of both Spirituality and Disability.  

His next focus was the relationship of Disability and Imago Dei.  He points out that past theology has defined Imago Dei interesting but not definitive view of how we should view the Image of God.  He points to the diversity of the Trinity as a reflection of how the body of Christ is diverse.

Then he covers the Relational Consciousness and how it is important to listen to people's stores, since its puts away prejudices and characterization.  "Which I think is probably the best task that churches can do for anybody who lives with a highly stigmatized condition: is just offer love and friendship.” 

Last, he focuses on thinning our visions, with four points covering why we should include people with disabilities; inclusion is natural, stigma destroys and takes away possibilities, exclusions and the obliteration of relational consciousness, and prejudice and the Image of God.  

Justice and Reconciliation Resources

This webinar approach the Faith and Disability inclusion questions from a pratical perspective - there was almost no theology included.  It showed how service providers and churches can work together to create belonging for the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) community.  Carter's slides and handouts include questions, sample forms, and additional resources on this work.

Information from his research survey that was meaningful: 59% of people identified as IDD did not attend religious services in the past month, Faith inclusion brings greater quality of life for both IDD and their families, and 32% of people surveyed has left their congregation because their child was not welcomed or included. 

He covered the history of inclusion in society, and how the church has experienced similar growth/inclusion history.  "that exclusion in many parts of our community and many of our faith communities is the natural outcome of unintentionally.

He included questions for congregations that will help them to because a place where people belong, favorites include: How does your website/social media communicate your welcoming?  1 in 4 doors in your neighborhood has a disability, how are you responding as a faith community? How are you intentional about planning for each person's presence and particpation? Is your support always individualized and contextualized?  Are there supports already available to anyone in the congregation?  How well do we support meaningful participation in all aspects of congregational life - worship, education, service, and outreach?  How are we communicating with direct service providers?  

While nearly 20 years old, this book's arguments for Disability still are valid today.  Includes examples of bad theology used against disabled people, view of justice for the disability community, and a focus on how one of the ELCA's predessors chose to exclude the disability community from ministry.  She argues for a social change from the within the church to affect the greater culture.  

This book gives a first person account of living with physical disabilities and addressing disability issues.  Emily touches on what it is like to deal with many of the social issues of disability, such as: buildings being inaccessible, being healed, dating, and being talked to as if she was a child.  She also acknowledges how intersectionality impacts the disability community.  My only criticism is that she uses an incorrect definition and misunderstanding of Twice Exceptionality.  

This autobiography gives an insight of what it was like to grow up before the disability rights movement, what is was like to experience the 504 sit-in in San Francisco and more.  The book showed how activists can work together to promote each other causes, and how organizations and churches can directly support justice movements.  It also reveals the patterns of the systems to marginalize groups using the same techniques over and over again (example: Separate But Equal for Education.)

"Now why would my mother, a woman who spent half her life working to overcome barriers for me, have declined an offer to have me included in an activity? Because she worried I would be a burden. My mother worried that if having me in the program became too difficult, the pastor might decide the effort wasn’t worth it and wouldn’t want me back. My mother straddled a fine line between fighting to not have me excluded and worrying that she’d pushed so hard for inclusion that I’d end up excluded. At Bible school we were lucky. The pastor was the kind of guy who understood that if all the kids were doing something it would be weird for me not to do it, too, so he carried me up and down the stairs, despite my mother telling him it wasn’t necessary. Which I know made my mother happy." Location 430

"I recognize now that exclusion, especially at the level and frequency at which I experienced it, is traumatic." Location 654

"From our perspective, disability was something that could happen to anyone at any time, and frequently did, so it was right for society to design its infrastructure and systems around this fact of life." Location 665

During the 504 Sit-In: "It was also the seventh day of Passover, which I normally celebrated but hadn’t had any time to think about. Now, the symbolism hit me. The deliverance of the Israelites from slavery. Freedom." Location 1652

This is the website for my state's Lutheran Advocacy group.  The page explains current actions they are working on at the state and national level, and how to get involved.  Understanding the intersectionality between different causes it is important.  It is also wise to follow what our legislators are purposing since their choices can impact, exclude, or ignore the disability community. 

This book takes us through a four fold process of forgiveness.  Each chapter includes an ethos argument for forgiveness and validity of going through each step of the process, a pathos approach of sharing stories of trauma and how those who were victimized went through a forgiveness process, validating all of their emotions.  Lastly, each chapter contains a pratical applications, including: a stone exercise, journal exercise and more.  Lastly to note, the audiobook is very impactful, especially when people are telling their stories.  I switched between the audiobook and physical book the first time I read this.  

Prayer Resources

This is a collection of 40ish Devotionals.  I appreciate that there are many stories, prayers, and reflections that can be helpful on any day, and it doesn't diminish our everyday struggles or blessings.  To me, it speaks to where people really are, and doesn't try to fix it.  

This book uses the formatting of the Book of Common Prayer, but has infused songs from other cultures, art, and modern commentary.  Its also suggests additional books to read during each month.   

This Litany is something can be used for the Prayers of Intercession during a church service.  It was written to mark the 30th Anniversary of the passing of the ADA, but is timeless enough to be used today.  One edit I would make is to change neurodiverse to neurodivergent.  I think they incorrectly used neurodiverse in their phrasing.  

This is an excellent guide on prayer with autistic people in mind.  Uses language to help explain parts of prayer and how they relate to autistic understanding.  The book also includes 52 prayers designed for austistic people.  This book is written by an Autsitic Roman Catholic Priest.  

This is my go to prayer resource, I find a lot of comfort in structured prayer, and my first independent experience in church was Episcopalian.  The section on Prayers and Thanksgiving is where I head to most, sometimes I need other's words to articulate what my hearts feels.  Prayers 27, 28, 31, 46, and 62 have been very impactful for me.  Lastly, Evening Prayer 1 is my probably my favorite, I think it beautifully calls for love and care.  

"Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or

weep this night, and give thine angels charge over those who

sleep.  Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless

the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the

joyous; and all for thy love's sake.   Amen."

Websites on Disability

This is an important resource to have available in communicating about disability.  There is a lot of discussion about what language we use, and having a guide from a reputable source is important.  I appreciated the honor given to listening to community you are writing about on this page about how to speak about them, while still being able to give some examples of needed updates to our language.  

An organization created to center the voices of actual autisics.  Has information about Autism, ways we can take action, and ways to empower autistics.  This is a good starting place to learn more about how to support the Autism community from their perspective.   

This blog follows Holly- a blind person, as she navigates being a mother, social worker, and a chaplain.  She shares what it is like to navigate a disability as an adult, and what its like to have become newly disabled.  

This website gives resources to help people with Apraxia of Speech, as well as information to educate people about Apraxia of Speech.  This could be useful to a congregation, Christian educators, and pastors who would like to learn more about supporting people with Apraxia of Speech.  Another part of the website includes a blog, in which Jordan writes about his current life and childhood, giving us a peek at what it would be like to live with this disability. 

This website is for parents of gifted and twice exceptional children and how to help them with faith formation.  Ginny writes both practical resources as well as emotional responses to the stresses and joy of raising children.  She also has created resources for families to purchase to help guide their children, strengthen their marriage, and more.  She empowers people to realize that you can be a person of faith, disabled, and gifted.  Her perspective is Roman Catholic, but much of what she writes can be applied to other liturgical spaces.  

This article is a great tool for pointing people to an overview of what UDL is and how it works.  It also includes a video to help people see it in action.  Article is geared towards children, but can be applied to all.  The article also gives links for people who want more information, or would like the tools to start adding UDL principals to their educational opportunities. 

Video/Photo Blog style posts sharing the experiences of a Deaf husband and hearing wife.  They share the adaptations used, parenting, and the ableism the couple faces.  They also show what they have learned from each other's culture (Deaf/hearing) and how they are teaching their daughter both.  

This site allows you to load a images to see what it looks like for someone who is colorblind.  A helpful tool as when assembling and creating materials.