Please consider supporting Disability Ministries on Giving Tuesday and throughout the year! We are committed to making the United Methodist Church a place where people with disabilities are fully included in all aspects of worship, leadership, ministry, and mission.
Rebecca was born with a complicated eye condition that caused her to be visually impaired. As a young person, her deepest wish was to become a music teacher and share the joy of music with children; however, systemic ableism at the university level prevented her from achieving this goal. She mourned for the loss of her dream, and then she started taking her writing seriously. Telling her story has helped her to reshape her personal narrative and to take back her power. She hopes to share what she has learned with others during this session. We all have a story to tell, and the world needs your story! Our stories shape the world, and together we can make big changes, one story at a time.
If you love something, do it! Don't let your age or having a disability stop you. God gave all of us gifts that we can use for His Glory. Fill the world with light and love-- and follow Jesus. Jesus loves you.
Cheri writes, “I AM PROUD AND DISABLED! Plain and simple. I am many things. I am a mom and a grandma. I am a friend and a sister. I am a person with a disability. I have a great life!”
I am really excited about my self-made business OARCID Services which stands for Organizing Accessible Resources & Connections on Inclusion & Disability. I really enjoy spreading awareness and advocating about disabilities. I want people to know that they are not alone in their journey, and that people are fighting for accessibility and rights. I hope that I can reach my overall goal of having a community centre where I can employ people with disabilities and really reach others. But for now small baby steps in helping businesses/organizations become more accessible and inclusive.
Tristan wants the world to know that you can be both disabled AND happy. She speaks candidly about the impact of COVID-19 on the disability community, and shares her candid thoughts on prayer.
Jessica says, "I make YouTube videos. I saw a severe lack of blind college students when I was about to start college, so I decided to make my channel so that I could share my voice and story. Just sitting in front of a camera, and talking about issues that I’m really passionate about is really cathartic for me. It is just really nice to have my own little space on the internet."
In our third installment of More than Meets the Eye: Interview with the Disability Community, we hear from Letitia Bouwer, a young woman from Namibia who has been blind since birth. she also loves to sing and play the piano.
Scripture: So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7) A Very Happy Birthday The current year has been a strange one, and yesterday brought us to the… Continue reading 32 Reasons to Be Thankful (His Encouragement)
"I really wish people understood that blindness isn’t something to be afraid of. It changes a few logistics about how life works, but it doesn’t in itself make people physically needy, mentally slow, or overly unhappy. People who are blind pursue meaningful careers, raise children, engage in hobbies, and live full lives at all ages." -J.E. Pinto
