"Conversations with ELCA Disability Ministries team" | Watch the video
"Bread of Life Deaf Lutheran Church, Third Sunday of Easter with sign language" | Watch the video
“As a church committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is called to welcome all people in all its congregations and ministries into full participation as baptized members of the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:14-26).
“People Living with Disabilities” social message, page 1
The ELCA social message “People Living with Disabilities” clearly states the hope that we as part of the body of Christ would work together across our various ministries, as well as in our personal lives.
The ELCA relates several areas of ministry with the work of Disability Ministries. The ministries described below include:
Definitions
Intellectual disability is an ongoing disability characterized by limitations in both intellectual (cognitive) ability (e.g., thinking, reasoning, problem-solving) and adaptive (functional) ability (e.g., dressing, eating, social skills, communication, etc.). The degree of limitations varies from person to person. The disability begins before the age of 18.
Developmental disability is a broader category of a variety of disabilities that are apparent by age 21. Developmental disabilities are chronic in nature and can be physical (e.g., cerebral palsy), intellectual, or a combination of both.
For general questions about the ELCA’s Disability Ministry, email us.