Faith and Disability: 10 Dimensions of Belonging | Teacher’s Desk with Erik Carter (Ep. 203)

Dr. Erik Carter shares from his research and personal experience about how Christian faith informs perspectives on disability. He unpacks 10 dimensions of belonging in community spaces, including schools and churches, along with actionable next steps.

• Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing
• “Disability is among us, and when we think about our schools and our congregations, we want to make sure that kids with disabilities are also with us as well.”
• “Every single person is created in the image of God with dignity and worth and gifts to share.”
• “Disability doesn’t diminish faith; it can often deepen faith.”
• “As a Christian, our faith shapes how we see people with disabilities, not as people who are broken or challenged or who have deficits or deficiencies, or all those things that come to mind when the world thinks about disability, but as people who are gifted and image bearers and wonderfully made and beloved.”
• “Our faith calls us to respond differently, to be barrier breakers and diminishers of stigma.”
• “One in three families has at least one member that identifies as having a disability.”
• “Disability is a natural part of the human experience, and if we’re not encountering people with disabilities, we might want to think about broadening who we think about as our neighbor and with whom we pursue relationships.”
• The 10 Dimensions of Belonging: Present, invited, welcomed, known, accepted, supported, heard, befriended, needed, loved
• Access additional resources for the church about the 10 Dimensions here
• “Who do I know is in my community but isn’t part of this program or activity or school, and what is it that is standing in the way of that happening?”
• “That sense of ‘I don’t want to do it poorly’ leads us to not do anything at all.”
• “You can’t learn to do this well from a distance; you have to step into it and experience this and wrestle through it.”
• Reflection Questions: What are we doing really well? What could we do better to open up the experience of belonging? What should we prioritize next?
• “Those who the world so often overlooks are the ones who lead us back to what matters most.”
• “This sense of experience of belonging is a mutual benefit; we all flourish when those whom we presume are less capable and less valuable are actually centered in our communities.”

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: New software for website management
• Heather: Writing on mirror with chalk markers
• Erik: Learning to slow his pace

Weekly Spotlight: Grace International School

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