Be inclusive, say PWDs

PERSONS with disabilities (PWDs) from two Lutheran parishes in Lae, Morobe, want pastors to be inclusive when preaching to enable them to better understand sermons.
PWDs in Jordan, Busu Mountain and Benong parish of Bumayong, wanted churches to be inclusive by having sermons also delivered using sign language.
Caregiver and Benong parish women’s president Napiwe Siniwin said they also had PWDs who were part of the congregation.
“A lot of our children with disability are attending church services,” she said.
“Most of them have hearing and verbal impairments.
“When pastors deliver sermons, they are sitting vainly there without understanding anything.”
Siniwin said they wanted all pastors and church workers to be trained in sign language.
“Pastors must be trained in sign language, or there must be a person communicating in sign language when sermon is being preached,” she said.
“Parishioners must also be trained in sign language.
“So we can know how to communicate with PWDs effectively when it comes to church activities. So we will assist them well,” said Siniwin.
She said there were still barriers in communication for PWDs to understand preaching in churches.
Evangelical Lutheran church partnership programme disability coordinator Dalina Bakine said they were undertaking a fact-finding exercise in 11 parishes within Lae city circuit to understand how they could deliver services to PWDs in partnership with other stakeholders.
“We want to break those barriers to make rights real for PWDs in communities,” Bakine said.
“To know if there are programmes for PWDs in the church. We would establish programmes, and support those already existing programmes by partnering other service providers.”
Bakine said they had captured disability in church partnership network.
“We were required to support the programme,” Bakine said.
“We want to mainstream disability in the Lutheran church body.
“This is part of a network of different organisations working to empower people with disability.”