God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the LORD looks at the heart. [1 Samuel 16:7]
Labelling is usually helpful. Labels give you a clear sense of what to expect such as what’s on the inside of the container or even the quality and value of an item. However, when it comes to people, labels are not always very helpful. In fact, labels often get in the way of us properly connecting with and appreciating people as individuals.
Learning Disability (LD), in my experience, is one such unhelpful label. 1
The fact is that rather than help to give a clear sense of what to expect from a person, it sometimes leads to the wrong expectations or the lack of any expectations at all.
As a society, we have come some way from the days when individuals with disabilities were deliberately treated as outcasts. Despite progressive legislation and policy, we still see the label before we see the potential that lies within each person created in the image of God.
When my daughter was born 31 years ago with Downs Syndrome, much of the sadness that I felt at the time was in anticipation of her future – the possible rejection and loneliness that she would face as an adult with LD in our society. Our experience as she went through mainstream school and college fuelled that concern, as few friendships were made. You may have had occasions where you have felt left out, ignored or overlooked because you were ‘different’ in some way – imagine if this was your reality the majority of the time.
Research has shown that the attitudinal barriers to inclusion of people with LD (fear, ignorance and lack of confidence) are only eroded when people with and without LD spend time together and get to know each other. Places that enable this to happen are few and far between. The need for our church to be such a place became increasingly evident through our personal experience.
