Subtitle: Piano lessons taught me about self-reliance, perseverance, and life! Note: This piece was written in response to the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind’s Prompt, “Self-Reliance.” Image shows the author seated on a piano bench Introduction: I remember the first time I ever saw a concert pianist. His name was Andre Watts and he was… Continue reading Three Lessons I Learned as a Visually Impaired Piano Student
Claudine is sixteen years old and visually impaired. After losing her parents, she found a home with Mama Arlene Brown and Hope Made Real. She dreams of becoming a doctor. In this photo, Rev. Rebecca and her husband, Jeff, stand with mama Arlene Brown. Mama Arlene Brown is originally from Pennsylvania. She started an orphanage… Continue reading Altoona District UMC Churches Purchase Lifechanging Device for Visually Impaired Teenager in Africa
After unexpected good news from a cornea specialist, I want to take time to give thanks to God for an unexpected healing. I believe in the power of every day miracles. Bible Verse: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin… Continue reading His Encouragement: Giving Thanks for Unexpected Healing
This year during Annual Conference, the Susquehanna Conference passed a motion to celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday on the second Sunday of October! We hope that you will join the Disability Ministries Task Force of the Susquehanna Conference as we celebrate this special Sunday. Although this article was originally written for use within the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church, it includes ideas and resources you can use in your own congregation! There are lots of ways you can be involved!
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.
Our church family has people of all ages and ability levels. Some were children, some of us were a little bit older, and some of us were anywhere in-between. Everyone was able to find a job that they were able to do. Some people were also visually impaired like myself (A friendly reminder: Please do not pet service dogs when they are working).
By the time we were done, we had given away 1,727 gallons of milk. It was a truly beautiful thing. We had given away almost 400 gallons of milk an hour!
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.
Rev. Rebecca Writes 