Disability and spirituality have traditionally been understood as two distinct spheres: disability is physical and thus belongs to health care professionals, while spirituality is religious and belongs to the church, synagogue, or mosque and their theologians, clergy, rabbis, and imams. This division leads to stunted theoretical understanding, limited collaboration, and segregated practices, all of which contribute to a lack of capacity to see people with disabilities as whole human beings and full members of a diverse human family. Contesting the assumptions that separate disability and spirituality, William Gaventa argues for the integration of these two worlds. As Gaventa shows, the quest to understand disability inevitably leads from historical and scientific models into the world of spiritualityato the ways that values, attitudes, and beliefs shape our understanding of the meaning of disability. The reverse is also true. The path to understanding spirituality is a journey that leads to disabilityato experiences of limitation and vulnerability, where the core questions of what it means to be human are often starkly and profoundly clear. In Disability and Spirituality Gaventa constructs this whole and human path before turning to examine spirituality in the lives of those individuals with disabilities, their families and those providing care, their friends and extended relationships, and finally the communities to which we all belong. At each point Gaventa shows that disability and spirituality are part of one another from the very beginning of creation. Recovering wholeness encompasses their reunionaa cohesion that changes our vision and enables us to everyone as fully human.

Learn about inclusive religious practices from around the world!With a multidisciplinary and anthropological perspective, Spirituality and Intellectual Disability: International Perspectives on the Effect of Culture and Religion on Healing Body, Mind, and Soul takes a fresh, innovative look into the world of religious and spiritual practices for the intellectually disabled. Containing vital insights from the first strand on spiritualit and disability at the quadrennial conference of the International Association for Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (Seattle, 2000), this book provides a framework for bridging the gap between science and faith. It explores the ways in which faith traditions, cultural backgrounds, and professional roles can help bring about a consensus about what spiritual health means within specific cultures and faiths and across disciplines. This informative book examines and provides cutting-edge information on: recognition of spirituality in health care defining and assessing spirituality and spiritual supports perspectives on intellectual disability from Judiasm, Islam, Roman Catholicism, and Native American spirituality creative models of community ministry and religious education liturgical celebrations with people who have severe mental disabilities

Do people with mental retardation have a special prophetic role?In the field of developmental disabilities, Wolf Wolfensberger is famous for his seminal book Normalization. But Wolfensberger is also a theologian, and the two strands of his thought are inextricable. The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger showcases his theories on the spiritual meaning of mental retardation and other disabilities.Up until now, Wolfensberger's work has been available only in small, hard-to-find publications, mostly in the field of human services. Thus his theological perspectives have not yet been heard in many religious circles. The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger brings together his essays and presentations from the past thirty years, giving the reader a unique pathway into his pioneering ideas on the spiritual implications of developmental disabilities. In addition, the volume includes critiques of his thought by several noted scholars and practitioners, along with Wolfensberger's response to those critiques.The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger expresses powerful opinions, some outrageous, all courageous. You will find yourself intently engaged with his provocative theories, including: why installing wheelchair access ramps may actually block full participation of the handicapped in the life of the church how the "deathmaking" culture of the modern world prevents Christians from understanding the meaning of suffering why people with mental retardation are the prophets of our times why most Christians ignore the powerful Biblical call to communality which special gifts of grace people with mental retardation may possess how handicapped and societally devalued patients can be protected from the neglect (or worse) of hospital staff The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger is challenging, inspiring, and sometimes infuriating. It is bound to stir up controversy among health care professionals, disability advocates, and anyone concerned with spiritual matters. You may not agree with Wolfensberger, as some of the contributors to this volume do not, but he will make you think . . . hard.

Two cogent arguments about end-of-life careand carefully reasoned responses from experts End-of-Life Care: Bridging Disability and Aging with Person Centered Care features two primary papers on the controversial issue of end-of-life care within the disabled and aging populations. Each paper explainsclearly and honestlythe multitude of issues involved in using person centered care. The first is from a father and nationally known advocate for the disabledRud Turnbullspeaking from a disability perspective about his disabled son. The second is from respected theologian M. J. Iozzio speaking from the aging perspective about her father's Alzheimer's disease. Responses from experts in the field follow, thoughtfully raising further points to consider about policies, ethics, quality of life, and consent. The two central papers from End-of-Life Care focus on person centered, interdependent care using the personal reflections of two close family members and their views about end-of-life care. The responses that follow each are direct, thoughtful, and concentrate on the issues in end-of-life planning using person centered care. This difficult and important issue is discussed in detail by lawyers, theologians, clinical practitioners, and professional service providers, and includes several revealing personal stories about end-of-life experiences. Helpful resources for both policy and practice are also presented to assist the reader to learn more. End-of-Life Care discusses: who, how, and on what grounds end-of-life decisions should be made for the developmentally/intellectually disabled best practices information from Volunteers of America's Last Passages project the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families when confronting issues of death and dying the protection of the rights of the disabled from discrimination person centered care for the aging with complicating health conditions like Alzheimer's Disease helping all people to clearly communicate their end-of-life wishes End-of-Life Care explores explores policy, theological, and personal dimensions of end of life care, and the ways that person centered care can bridge the fields of aging and disabilty.

Do people with mental retardation have a special prophetic role?In the field of developmental disabilities, Wolf Wolfensberger is famous for his seminal book Normalization. But Wolfensberger is also a theologian, and the two strands of his thought are inextricable. The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger showcases his theories on the spiritual meaning of mental retardation and other disabilities.Up until now, Wolfensberger's work has been available only in small, hard-to-find publications, mostly in the field of human services. Thus his theological perspectives have not yet been heard in many religious circles. The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger brings together his essays and presentations from the past thirty years, giving the reader a unique pathway into his pioneering ideas on the spiritual implications of developmental disabilities. In addition, the volume includes critiques of his thought by several noted scholars and practitioners, along with Wolfensberger's response to those critiques.The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger expresses powerful opinions, some outrageous, all courageous. You will find yourself intently engaged with his provocative theories, including: why installing wheelchair access ramps may actually block full participation of the handicapped in the life of the church how the "deathmaking" culture of the modern world prevents Christians from understanding the meaning of suffering why people with mental retardation are the prophets of our times why most Christians ignore the powerful Biblical call to communality which special gifts of grace people with mental retardation may possess how handicapped and societally devalued patients can be protected from the neglect (or worse) of hospital staff The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger is challenging, inspiring, and sometimes infuriating. It is bound to stir up controversy among health care professionals, disability advocates, and anyone concerned with spiritual matters. You may not agree with Wolfensberger, as some of the contributors to this volume do not, but he will make you think . . . hard.

Disability and spirituality have traditionally been understood as two distinct spheres: disability is physical and thus belongs to health care professionals, while spirituality is religious and belongs to the church, synagogue, or mosque and their theologians, clergy, rabbis, and imams. This division leads to stunted theoretical understanding, limited collaboration, and segregated practices, all of which contribute to a lack of capacity to see people with disabilities as whole human beings and full members of a diverse human family. Contesting the assumptions that separate disability and spirituality, William Gaventa argues for the integration of these two worlds. As Gaventa shows, the quest to understand disability inevitably leads from historical and scientific models into the world of spiritualityato the ways that values, attitudes, and beliefs shape our understanding of the meaning of disability. The reverse is also true. The path to understanding spirituality is a journey that leads to disabilityato experiences of limitation and vulnerability, where the core questions of what it means to be human are often starkly and profoundly clear. In Disability and Spirituality Gaventa constructs this whole and human path before turning to examine spirituality in the lives of those individuals with disabilities, their families and those providing care, their friends and extended relationships, and finally the communities to which we all belong. At each point Gaventa shows that disability and spirituality are part of one another from the very beginning of creation. Recovering wholeness encompasses their reunionaa cohesion that changes our vision and enables us to everyone as fully human.

Two cogent arguments about end-of-life careand carefully reasoned responses from experts End-of-Life Care: Bridging Disability and Aging with Person Centered Care features two primary papers on the controversial issue of end-of-life care within the disabled and aging populations. Each paper explainsclearly and honestlythe multitude of issues involved in using person centered care. The first is from a father and nationally known advocate for the disabledRud Turnbullspeaking from a disability perspective about his disabled son. The second is from respected theologian M. J. Iozzio speaking from the aging perspective about her father's Alzheimer's disease. Responses from experts in the field follow, thoughtfully raising further points to consider about policies, ethics, quality of life, and consent. The two central papers from End-of-Life Care focus on person centered, interdependent care using the personal reflections of two close family members and their views about end-of-life care. The responses that follow each are direct, thoughtful, and concentrate on the issues in end-of-life planning using person centered care. This difficult and important issue is discussed in detail by lawyers, theologians, clinical practitioners, and professional service providers, and includes several revealing personal stories about end-of-life experiences. Helpful resources for both policy and practice are also presented to assist the reader to learn more. End-of-Life Care discusses: who, how, and on what grounds end-of-life decisions should be made for the developmentally/intellectually disabled best practices information from Volunteers of America's Last Passages project the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families when confronting issues of death and dying the protection of the rights of the disabled from discrimination person centered care for the aging with complicating health conditions like Alzheimer's Disease helping all people to clearly communicate their end-of-life wishes End-of-Life Care explores explores policy, theological, and personal dimensions of end of life care, and the ways that person centered care can bridge the fields of aging and disabilty.