Disability Concerns

This page is a resource for persons with disabilities, their families, friends, caretakers, congregations and clergy. For further information, please contact the Disability Concerns Chair:

Berta Dickerson
4330 Shaffer Rd
Paducah, KY 42001
270.442.4005
bdickerson (at sign) memphis-umc.org

Resources

• 2010 Accessibility Audit Brochure from GCFA's website

• Last Year's Accessibility Audit Brochure

• Disability Etiquette

• Rate Your Home  

• Disability National Resources

• Disability resources on UMC.org

• Website accessibility info on GBGM.org

• Memphis Conference Website Accessibility Compliance Statement

• Website accessibility checker

• ADA Federal Standards

• Hearts in Motion - A four lesson Bible study for Disability Awareness

• Talking Points - about Disability
• Handicap Parking

• UMCOR DISC (Disability Concerns)

The United Methodist Book of Discipline (2008)

• Disability Concerns, Conference Committee, ¶ 653

• Disability Awareness Sunday, ¶ 265.4, ¶ 1806.12

• Nondiscrimination Policies, ¶ 716

• Rights, Social Principles, ¶ 162I

• Annual Conference location accessibility, ¶ 603.4

• Agency Meetings accommodating, ¶ 715.2

• Clergy, ¶ 1421.4g

• Discipleship Board responsibility for training in ministry for, ¶ 630.1c

Official expressions from the United Methodist Church can be found in The United Methodist Book of Resolutions, 2008.  Resolutions 3001 through 3009 deal with Accessibility/Equal Access.

Why are you afraid?

I carry no contagion.
I do not bite or scratch.
I have no wounds in body.
My mind is quite intact.

I am alive.

By God’s grace and healing.
You would know if only you spoke.
I will tell you about my God.
I will tell you about His yoke.

I am able.

To hear God’s Word.
To worship Him–And pray.
To tell the old, old story.
That brought me to this day.

I sit in a wheelchair.

Do you see it?
Is it all you see?
I have a voice. Will you listen?
I am a person. Will you see me?

I step out in faith to tell you:

My heart cries every time you pass me by.
I long to share my glee.
You stare. You assume.
You don’t see. Me.

I am a person with a disability.

I am not a disability.

 © 2009 Berta Dickerson

Beatitudes For Friends of People with Disabilities:

Blessed are you who take the time to listen to difficult speech, for you help me to know that if I persevere I can be understood.

Blessed are you who never bid me to “hurry up” and take my tasks from me and do them for me, for I often need time rather than help.

Blessed are you who stand beside me as I enter new and untried ventures, for my failures will be outweighed by the times I surprise myself and you.

Blessed are you who asked for my help, for my greatest need is to be needed.

Blessed are you who understand that it is difficult for me to put my thoughts into words.

Blessed are you who, with a smile, encourage me to try once more.

Blessed are you who never remind me that today I asked the same question two times.

Blessed are you who respect me and love me as I am, and not like you wish I were.