What If Accessibility Starts With Listening

We talk about how physical disability can flip a person’s perspective from confidence to constant “I can’t,” and why that emotional shift deserves real attention. We share a practical story of a broken leg to show how accommodations, teamwork, and listening can turn exclusion into meaningful participation. 
• disability statistics that reveal a major church accessibility gap 
• differences between being born with a disability and acquiring one later 
• a child’s broken-leg experience as a window into loss and frustration 
• assistive devices like crutches and wheelchairs as tools for participation 
• adapting activities through teamwork while honoring safety limits 
• shifting the mindset from “I can’t” to “I can, but how” 
• centering the perspective of the person impacted when making plans 
• applying creative accessibility to disability ministry and gospel access 
If you want to dive deeper on your own, you can check out the indispensable-people blog or my books on Amazon called The Indispensable Kid or Gospel Accessibility and the Indispensable People. 

Transcript

Welcome And Why Accessibility Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Hey, hey, my name is Tracy Coral, and welcome to Indispensable People. I'm a pastor, a teacher, a missionary, a mom, a wife, and I believe that every person should have access to the gospel so that they can know Christ, grow in him, and serve him with the gifts that he has given.

The Disability Gap In Church

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Over 65 million Americans have a disability. That's 15 to 20% of every community. And over 85% of those individuals do not attend church. 90% of pastors believe that they are a disability-friendly church, but only 20% of parents and families agree. Let's dive deep into hard topics, big questions, perceptions, stereotypes, and so much more. Hey, hey, and welcome to this episode of Indispensable

Two Paths Into Physical Disability

SPEAKER_00 0:56

People. Today we're talking physical disability and how it impacts your perspective, your emotions, and truly just the impact for life. Now, people with physical disabilities, some are born with it, some have encountered an accident or a health event that has replaced them with a physical disability. And a lot of individuals who are born with it, there's a really a different approach and a different experience with life in the sense of you don't fully understand what you're missing. However, you still have the availability to see what others experience that you cannot. Then there are individuals who have a physical disability that came later in life through a health event or a sickness of some sort. And with that, you have had the availability to experience life in a different way with full physical capabilities. And now the change is that you don't have those same abilities and you switch, switch that that thinking becomes a whole lot of, well, I can't do blank anymore.

A Broken Leg Reveals Mindset

SPEAKER_00 2:26

So why am I thinking about this? Why am I talking about this? A friend of mine, her son, just broke his leg and he is in a cast from his foot to his thigh, and his mobility is completely changed. He has crutches to get around on, but it is not really easy for him. And his core strength, his arm strength, isn't built up as much because it's not used to using crutches. And so he's an avid soccer player. He is a very, very active. So this is a big hit to his typical life. Now, the difference for him is that in two months or so, things should be back to more mobility. He'll have to rebuild his strength up and all that kind of stuff. But there is an end to what he's experiencing. However, his perspective is very helpful as he verbalizes the things that he's walking through and what he's feeling. So again, I mentioned he's a soccer player and he participates in lots of things where he's active. So he has to let some of that go for a time. He also is planning to attend our camp, which, you know, he starts listening. Well, I can't go fishing. I can't play pickleball. I can't do this. I can't do that. I can't. And his perspective is I am immobile, my leg hurts, I can't do anything. However, his mom was really great in helping him understand that listen, Bun, you this doesn't stop everything. This doesn't take your ability to participate in life away. You are going to have to do things differently. However, you can still do things. So how does it change? What does the perspective need to be? And how do you go forward? And again, not the same situation as this situation will end, and there will be a no need for crutches for assistive devices in any way. But right now, this little guy's world is being flipped upside down, and we have an opportunity to teach, to bring understanding, and for him to share his perspective with us on the things that he's experienced.

Wheelchair Solutions And Shared Help

SPEAKER_00 4:59

So step number one, he has his crutches. Step number two, we got him a wheelchair that works for his size that helps him to navigate and to get around and be able to participate. But he also has to learn how to utilize that wheelchair. He also has to depend on others to help him. So one of his things were, well, I can't play pickleball at camp. And his mom said, Yes, you can. And then they started to discuss how it was going to be a team effort, and he would have someone assist him while he was playing. Another thing that he talked about was swimming, which will be off the table for him because of the type of cast that he'll have and not being able to get that wet. So he will miss out that on that. So there will be alternatives for him to participate in during that time. It still won't provide him the opportunity to be a part of that, but it will give him again alternative choices during that time. Another thing that he talked about was the zip line, which he will not be able to go down the zip line, not because he can't get to the top, not because he can't participate, or that it requires the use of his legs, but because the cast is could be dangerous if, you know, it came in contact with something else, but also because you know, we didn't want it to wouldn't want it to hurt someone else. His mom wasn't against him doing it. They were willing to potentially take into that, but the consideration had to come for others at the same time. So that, you know, then there's discussion about games and getting around and all of those kinds of things, which again there can be lots of things that can be done

Safety Limits And Alternative Activities

SPEAKER_00 6:59

in the process. But really what we want to highlight from all of this is it's not about the what can't I do? It's how can I do and taking a change in perspective in a way to approach things so that participation isn't taken away. It might have to be altered, it might have to be accommodated, there might have to be modifications done, but that doesn't mean it's a no for everything. It doesn't mean it's I can't do, I can't participate. And I think that is a great outlook that we have to take with us as we're considering individuals who use assist assistive devices, you wheelchairs, walkers, braces, all those kinds of things is that the answer doesn't have to be no, but we may have to think creatively and outside the box. But also

From I Can’t To How Can I

SPEAKER_00 7:58

it's not just on my part to think about what those creative answers can be, but also really taking in the perspective of the individual who will be impacted by it to see their perspective, their feelings, and how they would like to participate. Those are really important things that no matter the situation, the environment, or the reasoning behind the disability, but being able to take in someone else's experience and perspective so that decisions can be made that they feel a part of, that they decide how that looks based on their experience, their feelings, their perspective. But also being able to go outside of the I can't perspective and say we can, but let's look at how that works.

Let The Person Lead The Plan

SPEAKER_00 8:53

And I think that is a beneficial perspective for the church encountering any individual with a disability. So taking away from the I can't to I can, but how, and also utilizing the perspective of the person that is impacted. Those things are going to create opportunities where we can make the gospel accessible, that we can open those doors and those possibilities, and that it doesn't have to be a no, but it can be a creative yes. That opens the door, allows accessibility, and makes Jesus known to people of all abilities. I can't claim to have all

A Creative Yes For The Church

SPEAKER_00 9:34

the answers. I can't claim to know all the things, but here's what we are gonna do we're gonna keep this conversation going. We're gonna make the accessible gospel available to individuals with disabilities in our churches and in our communities so that every person has the opportunity to know Christ, to grow in him, and to serve him.

Keep The Conversation Going

SPEAKER_00 9:54

If you want to dive deeper on your own, you can check out the indispensable people blog or my books on Amazon called The Indispensable Kid or Gospel Accessibility and the Indispensable People.