Interpreting Disability: A Church of All and for All

Interpreting Disability is an exploration of the relationship between Christian churches and persons with disabilities, drawing on personal stories of the lives of the two authors and other members of the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN). Written for lay readers, the book acknowledges the great challenge of communicating human experience across differences in culture and language, as well as across varying degrees of physical and mental ability. Ultimately, the authors raise the theological question of what it is that all human beings have in common. The authors provided leadership for a consultative process that resulted in adoption of the World Council of Churches' policy statement on disability, "A Church of All and for All". The text of that document, included here, provides a strong argument for full participation and active involvement by people with disabilities in every aspect of the spiritual, social and developmental life of the churches.