Can a handicapped person easily get onto your church’s platform to sing or speak? Are there ramps and handrails by the stairs? Does your church welcome the hard-of-hearing by providing earphones? Does it have enough handicap parking spaces and accessible restrooms?

Those with disabilities are often forgotten or ignored by the church family. But the Arlington church put disability issues in plain sight on Sabbath, March 11. It also affirmed the ministry of members engaged in special education and interacted with a newly-established National Association of Christians in Special Education (NACSPED).

“Barriers, both physical and attitudinal, need to be broken down in all Christian churches,” said Jeff McNair, NACSPED president, as he greeted Arlington members. “We’re delighted that your special worship coordinates with our conference.” The association organized just over a year ago on the campus of California Baptist University in Riverside where McNair is professor of special education. The campus is just one block from the Arlington church.

“When I heard that NACSPED would be meeting close by, I thought ‘Why not incorporate our own Disabilities Awareness Sabbath into the mix of this group’s events?” said Ron Bowes. He is a member of the North American Division (NAD) Commission for People with Disabilities and a representative of Christian Record Services, which works especially for the blind. Adventists established the Commission in 1995 as a response to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Lyle Bennett, pastor of the Arlington church, immediately saw the benefits of the collaboration. “It was a great opportunity to interact with fellow Christians at Cal Baptist,” he said. “It also gave our congregation a chance to learn more about people who face physical challenges, and to honor members who serve them.”

A panel discussion during Sabbath school included a blind teacher, a young professional confined to a wheel chair, a special education teacher, and the mother of a deaf child. Afterwards, Bennett presented flowers to special educators, caregivers, and those who regularly bring people with disabilities to church.

“We all have disabilities,” Bennett emphasized. “It’s just that some disabilities are more visible than others. In our sin-soaked world, all of us have been wounded in some way. As Christians, we can do no better than to follow our Lord’s command to love one another.”