Promoting Disability Engagement

Who we are

Faith for All was founded by Thomas Boehm in 2009 as a not-for-profit, non-denominational organization oriented by the basic premise that all human beings are created in the image of God and designed to be in relationship with Him and each other. Because relationship with God is a matter of faith, people with disabilities should have equal access to both express and explore their faith of choice within the context of a community of their choice.

Faith for All accelerates congregational accessibility so people with disabilities and their families can have deeper access into the community life of a congregation. This involves identifying and removing all barriers that inhibit people from growing in God and cultivating belonging in community—including attitudinal and cultural barriers as well as curricular and architectural barriers.

We are focused on promoting disability engagement—specifically helping people with and without disability cultivate relationships and think biblically—in two primary ways:

WHAT WE contend FOR

1. Accessible Worship
   We aim to help congregations make their worship accessible for people with special needs. While often unintentional, there are barriers that prevent people from accessing a congregation’s corporate worship. While these barriers sometime involve architecture, they can also involve sensory sensitivities or the way liturgy, sermons and classroom teachings are communicated. Additionally, barriers can flow from attitudes characterized by fear and ignorance. We assist congregations in identifying and removing any obstacle that discourages, prevents or limits accessibility.

2. Inclusive Community
   We aim to help congregations become places of meaningful inclusion within the relational fabric of the community. While accessible worship may facilitate getting more bodies into a building, the goal of inclusive community addresses the deeper need for a healthy culture of relational engagement. We help identify ways that congregations can have cultures that promote transparency, relational intimacy, and serving to meet one another's needs.

3. Transforming Love
   We aim to help congregations become places where love is expressed and received in transforming ways. People with disabilities are God-image bearers who have unique gifts and talents that have value and purpose. When these gifts are received and released within community, everyone is impacted. We support congregations in developing worship that is truly accessible and community that is meaningfully inclusive as a way to facilitate people encountering God’s transforming love.