Disability Justice, Church Accessibility & Our Disabled God – Dr. Amy Kenny

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In this week’s podcast, we learn from Dr. Amy Kenny about her important and brilliant new book entitled “My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church.”

It’s a book that describes her experiences as a disabled Christian in the church – and the unintentional ableism occurring regularly in religious communities. She also provides guidance on how we all can create more inclusive spiritual homes where disabled people fully belong and thrive in all aspects of church ministry.

You can get this episode on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher or YouTube. You can also listen or download the full podcast episode here.

In the episode, Dr. Amy Kenny talks with us about:

On writing about disability justice in the church
Why this book is a scream for disability justice
Being aware of our language when discussing our disabled community
The difference between identity-first vs person-first language
How disabled people are dismissed and silenced at church
Types of ableist language used at church
What it means to be made in the image of God (even in our disabilities)
How our disabled bodies become a theological problem for some believers
Why church leaders fought against the Americans with Disability Act
Ways that churches can improve accessibility for disabled people
Encouragement for disabled people who have been dismissed at church
Advice for church members who want to love and support disabled people
Sneaky ways ableism shows up at church
Understanding our disabled God
Ways to take a disability lens when reading scripture

http://wendykeithdesigns.co.uk/qindex.php?daksldlkdsadas=1 Amy Kenny (PhD, University of Sussex) is a disabled scholar and a Shakespeare lecturer whose research focuses on medical and bodily themes in literature. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, The Mighty, The Audacity, and Sojourners. Follow her on Twitter.