By Akangjungla
The Naga society is built on a foundation of community, a shared identity where the strength of the collective has seen the people through immense challenges. The churches in any Naga society stand as the heart of this community, a place of refuge, worship, and fellowship. Yet, within the congregations, a significant part of the community often remains on the margins, the People with Disabilities.
The challenges they face in participating fully in church life are not merely physical but deeply attitudinal. Many of church buildings, often perched on hillsides or accessed by steep stairs, are simply inaccessible to those who use wheelchairs or have mobility impairments. The lack of ramps, accessible toilets, and reserved seating creates invisible barriers that say, “You are not welcome here.”
Nevertheless, the barriers extend beyond architecture. How often do the Sunday schools and youth programmes have the resources and training to include a child with a developmental disability? Are the worship services engaging for those who are visually or hearing impaired? The absence of large-print hymnals, sign language interpreters, or even a simple spirit of patience for those who learn and communicate differently can make the house of God feel like a foreign land. This gap between the ‘Christian calling’ and ‘Christian practices’ is a challenge the society must urgently address. The role of the church is not simply to provide charity, but to foster communion and belonging. It is to embody the message of Christ, who consistently reached out to the marginalized and broken, restoring them not just to health, but also to their community.
So, what must the churches do to close this gap and truly embrace people with disabilities?
First, can we start with listening? Church leaders must proactively invite members with disabilities and their families to share their experiences and needs. This is not a task for a committee alone; it is a pastoral responsibility. Second, can we act on accessibility? Investing in ramps, handrails, and accessible restrooms is not a construction project; it is a ministry. It is a tangible declaration that every soul is valued. This also includes “sensory accessibility” creating quiet spaces for those overwhelmed by noise and ensuring lighting and sound are considerate of all. Third, can we foster inclusive fellowship? This means training Sunday school teachers and youth leaders on inclusive education. It means actively inviting and integrating people with disabilities into choir practices, prayer groups, and church committees. Their perspectives and gifts are not lesser; they are different and desperately needed for a holistic body of Christ. Finally, and most importantly, can we shift our hearts and minds? There must be a move from a mindset of pity to one of partnership, from seeing disability as a burden to recognizing it as a part of human diversity. The sermons, prayers, and conversations must reflect the biblical truth that every individual is ‘fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.’
The Church’s call to inclusivity begins with concrete steps, ramps, accessible facilities, and sign-language interpretation, but it cannot end there. The church and the congregation must find the courage to dismantle a deeper barrier, a theology that has emphasised physical and spiritual healing at the expense of full acceptance. This begins with a sacred act of repentance, seeking forgiveness for the historical failure to honour people with disabilities as equal members of the body of Christ. What is needed is nothing less than a paradigm shift, a transformation that moves from viewing disability as a problem to be solved, to recognising it as an essential part of a diverse and whole community.
Comments can be sent to akangjungla@gmail.com
