Those With Disabilities Need Encouragement to Gain Courage, Like All of Us

Last updated on: February 10, 2019 at 1:55 pm by Paul Louis Metzger

Those With Disabilities Need Encouragement to Gain Courage, Like All of Us 2019-02-10T13:55:41-08:00 Paul Louis Metzger

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Yokosuka, Japan (Dec. 2, 2009) Sailors assigned to Fleet Activities Yokosuka dance at the annual Christmas Disco Party for the disabled during a community outreach project; Wikimedia

We all need encouragement to gain courage to take risks in life. Thus, it is no wonder that people with disabilities need encouragement and support, just like the rest of us. Gratefully, there are places and people who provide support for people with disabilities to flourish. The key for us is to move from isolation to invitation and inclusion so that the only place that is truly disabled is where people with disabilities are not welcome.

Stephen’s Place in Vancouver, Washington is a place that supports those with disabilities and finds ways to connect their residents to the community at large. Stephen’s Place “focuses on family and community.” The website provides the following overview:

We partner with families to provide a loving, supportive adult care home for adults with developmental disabilities. Our unique approach is to create a safe, active and healthy environment that is rich in community interaction and family involvement. We are committed to providing a beautiful space for our residents to thrive – to make friends, work, play, volunteer and enjoy life.

I had the opportunity to interview Heather Stenberg, the Executive Director, of Stephen’s Place. You can find the video of the interview at the close of this blog post. Heather’s love for Stephen’s Place’s vision and mission and the people who live there is life-giving. Heather will be the first to say that the residents also renew her life and bring her meaning and joy. Heather understands full well that society often approaches those with disabilities in unimaginative terms that places limits on them. Stephen’s Place exists to support them and assist them with removing those barriers and impositions so that they can experience life to the full.

Heather wants to make sure that the residents at Stephen’s Place have the same opportunities the rest of us have, and which they themselves create, so as to flourish in society. My colleague Derrick Peterson and I met some of the residents when we interviewed Heather on site at Stephen’s Place. One of the residents was on his way to work. Living at Stephen’s Place has opened up new vistas for him to express himself and make vital contributions in his surrounding community. Another person living at Stephen’s Place has started college. It is something she has always wanted to do, but really needed the encouragement and support that would make it possible to take the necessary risks and exercise her agency. Heather and the team at Stephen’s Place encouraged her to go for it. Of course, there are challenging days at school, but her supportive community helps her build resilience. Heather also mentioned a dance all the residents attended, and how they supported and had one another’s backs in public. The residents and the surrounding public also have one another’s backs as Stephen’s Place and its residents partner with Habitat for Humanity, a church next door, a community garden initiative, a Montessori preschool, and an elementary school across the street.

Heather mentioned that if the society at large were to include and provide encouragement for those with disabilities rather than exclude and easily institutionalize them, and if we supported one another rather than operate in an impaired, isolated manner, there would not be a need for caring, inclusive communities like Stephen’s Place. Until then, we need supportive environments like Stephen’s Place to inspire us and lead us forward in understanding and supporting one another–every one of us–in the midst of the various challenges we face. Communities like Stephen’s Place encourage us to be courageous and move out from our disabled and distorted reality of stranger-hood and into a heart-set and mindset of neighborhood wherever we go in society, migrating from isolation to invitation and inclusion.

Join Heather Stenberg and New Wine, New Wineskins for the upcoming conference “From Isolation to Invitation: A Conference on Disabilities” on March 16th at Multnomah University and Biblical Seminary.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

February 6, 2019

A Missional Church in Exile: An Interview with Rick McKinley

Next Post

February 22, 2019 Do We Approach People with Disabilities with a Disabled Imagination?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz