Last week, my family of four descended up two national parks for a brief vacation and respite from the demands of life. We traveled to Antietam National Battlefield, the site of one of the bloodiest battles during the Civil War, and Harper’s Ferry National Park, the site of John Brown’s raid upon the United States Armory in hopes of leading an enslaved rebellion.
If you have ever traveled anywhere with a child with disabilities, you know that going anywhere can be a stressful adventure. You go through websites and other materials seeking information on things that can make the experience beneficial for your family, such as family restrooms, sensory hours, non-busy hours, and other accommodations. You enter these places concerned about how people will treat your child in a strange place.
Our experiences at Antietam and Harper’s Ferry were meaningful to our family. We left feeling welcomed and included. There are things that both places did to create a welcoming environment for individuals with disabilities. Those acts can provide encouraging lessons for a church seeking to embrace individuals and families with disabilities.
Staff members knew how to care for families with special needs. At both parks, we encountered staff members who likely received some training in providing hospitality to individuals with disabilities. What we experienced never came off as an “over-the-top production” of inclusion. Their acts of welcome came through small acts of grace, such as showing patience and providing space for families to navigate the park’s facilities.
For many churches, greeters are the first people guests encounter in a church. As a result, they are the first people responsible for building a community of welcome and inclusion in a church. Greeters trained in creating a calm, loving, and welcoming space as people enter the sanctuary can provide a warm welcome not just for those who are neurodivergent but for every person. That calm and welcoming environment can help soothe the nerves of someone uneasy about coming to a new church and helps to set the mood for worship.
Staff members found points of shared interest to create inclusion and welcome. At both parks, staff members offered a brief word of connection and encouragement in times of stress for our family. We were trying to navigate the needs of our children while also trying to take care of entry fees, gift shop payments, and making sure our youngest did not run off to the bus. (He has a love for the song, “The Wheels on the Bus.”) We were overwhelmed, yet we encountered graciousness in encouraging words from individuals who empathized with us. One staff member offered encouragement by saying, “he has every right to be here as anyone else.” Another helped us to get a disability pass without judging us for having a child “who does not look disabled.” One staff member laughed as our youngest wanted to go behind the welcome desk and said, “He just wants to become a park ranger.” Each of these acts, and others, made us feel like we were not a burden for being there.
Small words of encouragement can be the most important gift a church can offer someone with a disability or their family. Sometimes church members will say something they believe is helpful such as, “You have your hands full,” or “We all are struggling,” without understanding how someone might receive those words.
One of the best things a church can do is to find ways to connect with an individual and begin a conversation around those topics. For instance, if someone is passionate about wrestling, then learn who Roman Reigns is and what is SummerSlam. That connection means more than we often realize.
In all, staff members created an environment of care. They were not perfect, and there were things both parks would argue they could improve upon. Families and individuals do not seek perfection. We seek an environment of care created through learning, trying, and understanding.
If we desire to build a church where every person is included, then, we will create an environment of care in our congregations. This comes by learning, seeking to adapt what we have learned appropriately, and understanding how we can do better to love God and serve individuals and families.
Shannon Blosser 