Something Worth Sharing Day 2

Something Worth Sharing was a weekend of events to mark the 7th annual conference on Disability and Church, a partnership between St Martin-in-the-Fields and Inclusive Church.

Today we began with a Eucharist and Healing Service for St Luke’s Day. This special service reflected the weekend’s themes using liturgy written by members of St Martin’s Disability Advisory Group and Healing Team. The service included the laying on of hands and anointing with oil, accompanied by prayers for healing. The service was followed by a Theology Group meeting which explored the history, theology of and approaches to Ecumenism.

Later we had a special screening of Defiant Lives, a feature-length documentary which was followed by discussion of the issues and ideas. Defiant Lives tells the story of the disability rights movement in the UK, US and Australia, mixing archive footage and recent interviews with disabled people who fought for a society where everyone can participate.

Twitter comment on the film and the panel discussion included:

• Defiant Lives is a documentary telling the story of the Disability Rights Movement in Australia, UK & US.
• "They weren't considered human." Harrowing reminders from history of #disability rights movement.
• "In a culture of Othering, the Others are in danger. Crimes against us aren't really crimes. We cease being human."
• Attitudes of paternalism & pity challenged by #disability rights movement. 
• "To boldly go where all others have been before" - history of direct action, hard-won right to travel on "public" transport.
• Beyond legislation - law is first step. Making it work is much harder... Usually "if someone complains, we'll fix it." Still not working.
• Ed Roberts, US pioneer of Independent living, on the importance Personal Assistants as valued and specialist role. "Disabled people do best when their support workers do best.
• "unless disabled people are involved, they're going to get it wrong" Lessons from history in #defiantlives.
• Why is taking so long, even now, to get our voices out there?
• The dominant charity stories diminish us. These must be changed. The language of hymns must change. 
• People with lived experience building own theology - church needs to hear authentic spirituality derived from lived experience.
• Church needs to reconsider its model of humanity - no steps to sanctuary and central altar saying God is in our midst.
• Fighting for the right to go where everyone else has already gone before - this is my daily reality.
• Church should be with marginalised but cut funding on disability issues at time when austerity cuts began to impact. 
• Disabled people are the canaries in the coal mine - more in poverty, more disadvantaged. Church must speak out on these issues. 

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June Boyce-Tillman: Blessing Song.