Disability Concerns Inclusion Toolkit

Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong will open your eyes and your heart. She was born with spinal muscular atrophy, started using a wheelchair in elementary school, and went on to become a determined and effective disability advocate. One of her great contributions was broadcasting the voices and viewpoints of people with disabilities. After studying and working in medical sociology, she founded the Disability Visibility Project, sharing oral histories of people with disabilities. She worked with the Disabled Writers Project, CripLit, and Asian and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California. In 2013, President Obama appointed her to the National Council on Disability.

The book is a collection of short chapters of podcasts, interviews, opinion pieces, and memoirs. It includes revealing conversations with people who struggle to make a life while working around and with a disability. There’s a wonderful interview with her mother about Chinese New Year and baking enough dumplings for all the family and visitors. It’s a 360-degree view of her life, not only as an advocate, but as a friend and member of a vibrant family.

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Design your Forms to Look for Strengths and Needs



Rather than asking for specific health information or disability diagnosis, people may feel more comfortable disclosing support needs if those needs feel relevant to the setting. A faith community might ask:

• Are there supports or accommodations that you receive in other settings that might be helpful here?

• How can we help you/your child feel calmer if they become upset?

• Are there any common triggers we should avoid (sounds, textures, etc.)?

• When you are tired, what are things that support you and help you feel better?

Ministry leaders can also ask about strengths on their registration forms. This helps in making program decisions and in nurturing diverse leaders. You might ask:

• What activities/teams are you involved in at school?

• What are your volunteer activities? Do you participate in any fundraisers or events?

• What are you passionate about?

• What would you consider yourself an expert in? Would you be willing to lead younger kids/novices in learning more about this?

• What do you consider your strengths?

In addition to these questions, consider including a checklist of descriptive words for parents or participants to complete which helps you learn more about them.

From the PCUSA Office of Christian Formation Guiding with Intentionality: Policies, Forms, and Planning | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)