D080 Direct Executive Council to Create Committee on Disability and Deaf Inclusion
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That the 81st General Convention direct the Executive Council to create a Committee on Disability and Deaf Inclusion, composed of eight to ten (10) members to do the work outlined in the Blue Book Report of the Task Force on Disability and Deaf Access for a Disability Advisory Group and to make available trainings and resources on disability and Deaf access, anti-ableism, and cultural competency; and be it further
Resolved, That the Executive Council seek the wisdom and leadership of the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf; recognized disability policy experts and members of the Disability and Deaf Communities in the Church; task forces whose work centers on disability, deafness, and mental health; and external expert advisors as needed, especially in considering Committee membership; and be it further
Resolved, That the Joint Budget Committee of Executive Council consider a budget allocation of $3,000 for the creation and work of this committee each triennium.
Explanation
People who are Deaf and disabled have faced discrimination, barriers to access, and ableism over many centuries within the Church. One of the most common barriers is lack of physical accessibility into a church–let alone to the altar–but discrimination, ableism, microaggressions, and a perpetuation of stereotypes, biases, and stigmas also present significant barriers to active participation in the Church at all levels for disabled and Deaf people.
The 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church overwhelmingly passed legislation creating the Task Force on Disability and Deaf Access to address the systemic inaccessibility and ableism within the Church. In its Blue Book Report to the 80th General Convention, the Task Force recommended that a Disability Advisory Group be created within the Church to do the following:
Offer support for individuals with disabilities
Collaborate with the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf
Collaborate with disability organizations of other denominations
Curate resources and make such resources available online
Consult and offer support for congregations, dioceses, and other church institutions and leadership bodies
Support advocacy and education [within the Church]
The Task Force’s Blue Book Report may be found here: https://www.episcopalarchives.org/e-archives/gc_reports/reports/2022/bb_2022-R038.pdf. However, the 80th General Convention did not take any action at the recommendation of the Task Force on Disability and Deaf Access, nor did any other entity or body of The Episcopal Church.
Noting this, the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church thoughtfully considered the Task Force’s Blue Book Report in its work up to the 81st Convention, especially in light of its mandate to look at accessibility, safety, and inclusion in the Church. The Committee referred significantly to the recommendations of the Task Force, noting the urgency for an official body of the Church to create a disability advisory group, of sorts, and the need for significant training across the Church in anti-ableism and disability and Deaf cultural competency.
The Committee’s Blue Book Report to this General Convention (found here: https://extranet.generalconvention.org/staff/files/download/32395) made reference to materials that exist within the Diocese of California (DioCal), which are readily available as a resource on DioCal’s website. While the materials have been made available, it is important to add a means of accountability to ensure our Church is doing the ongoing work to address stereotypes, biases, and stigmas that persist as we gather to do the work of Christ, welcome everyone to the table, and recognize the dignity of every human being. To that end, the Committee submitted A050 to this Convention for its consideration.
Thus, this resolution aims to use the authority of Executive Council to create a committee that would oversee the above-bulleted tasks of the disability advisory committee proposed by the Task Force on Disability and Deaf Access, and, importantly, preserve the anti-ableism and cultural competency nature of each of these tasks throughout the Church.