ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Presbyterian Church (USA) has appointed a task force to examine how the church can best minister to people with disabilities.
The 12-member group, which includes clergy, disability specialists, social scientists and advocates for the disabled, will prepare a policy to be presented during the PC(USA) General Assembly in 2006.
The denomination's Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) is leading the project, according to a news release. The task force will begin meeting this fall, using the theme "Harvesting Seeds of Justice: Ministering in Church and Society with Persons who Have Disabilities."
Among the ACSWP's suggestions to the task force so far are: identifying funding sources for churches trying to improve accessibility, especially to those with visual or hearing impairments; creating barrier-awareness education programs; preparing a survey to help congregations evaluate their accessibility; and developing resources to help churches meet the needs of those with severe mental retardation.
