Joni and Friends Accelerating Ministry for the Disability Community

Joni and Friends website is an incredible site having a number of relationship building resources. Their ministry is dedicated to extending the love and message of Jesus Christ to people who are affected by disability around the world, including retreats. Their goal is to accelerate ministry for those in the disability community through the church.

The mission of Joni and Friends is to communicate the Gospel and equip Christ-honoring Churches worldwide to evangelize and disciple people affected by disabilities.

Joni and Friends Ministries:

Wheels for the World: Sending the gift of mobility and the Gospel message worldwide.

Family Retreats: Domestic and international retreats for families that live with disability.

Television Series: Each episode highlights God’s goodness in a world shattered by suffering.

Radio Program: Joni Eareckson Tada shares encouragement and Biblical insights.

Christian Institute on Disability: Higher education, ministry training, and Public Policy Center.

Church Relations: Equipping churches for disability ministry.

The National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability

According to the COPS Office website, “Police officers often receive little or no training about hidden disabilities and often don’t know what to look for when they suspect something is “off” about a person. Officers may receive crisis intervention training or some education on mental illness, but there is still a lack of information on the hidden disabilities overall.”

Do you know disability Etiquette?

Yes, there is a disability etiquette. Many people with disabilities have special needs that should be respected. It’s amazing to learn and better understand the disability world. Learn how to be accommodating with respect.

Have a disability and work too?

The U.S. Department of Labor has published a fact sheet. This fact sheet provides guidance to assist you with a successful transition into the workforce by answering questions regarding disclosure, accommodations and resources.

How do you keep going?

 

Did you know e-learning must be compliant?

The Federal Government requires that electronic and information technology be made accessible to people with disabilities, but does this include both visible disabilities and hidden disabilities? Yes, it does. Instructional designers should consider both visible disabilities and hidden disabilities when designing courses.

 

Section 508 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was amended in 1998. This amendment, Section 508, states that electronic and information technology must be made accessible to people with disabilities. This includes e-Learning. The purpose of Section 508 is to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.

The prevalence of learning disabilities

According to the US Department of Education, of the approximately six million children in special education programs in the United States, almost one half, or 2.9 million, have learning disabilities.

How Police Officers Can Spot Hidden Disabilities

According to Leigh Ann Davis, Program Manager, Justice Initiatives, The Arc, there are ways to spot hidden disabilities. However, time and patience is required by the peace officer when split second decisions may need to be made. Leigh Ann wrote the following suggestions to look deeper and slow down.

“How Police Officers Can Spot HIDDEN DISABILITIES: TWO STEPS—Look deeper and slow down

Once disabilities are identified, officers are much more likely to take steps leading to safe and successful outcomes for all concerned. Officers can remember these two steps next time they encounter a person with hidden disabilities:

1. Look deeper: Hidden disabilities are identified by behavior, not appearance. Examples include intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), autism, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)

Common traits of people with hidden disabilities include the following:

• Pretending to understand when they do not
• Strong desire to please authority figures
• Wanting to hide disability from others
• Sensitive to touch, sounds, and lights
• Anxious/nervous appearance or self-stimulation like hand flapping/rocking
• Lack of impulse control leading to explosive episodes
• Vulnerable to peer pressure and poor judgment
• Difficulty with eye contact and responding to commands
• Cannot understand legal concepts or Miranda rights

2. Slow down:

Officers may prevent potential crisis by trying these strategies:

• Get your supervisor/support staff to the scene
• Call the person’s support staff/advocate
• Avoid confrontational tactics—boxing in or staring will not work
• Speak in a normal, calm, non-confrontational tone
• Avoid touching or unnecessary restraint
• Avoid overreliance on weapons
• Do not question the person without an advocate

Ask Yourself:

• What is really going on here?
• How could disability be playing a role?
• Whom can I call for support or assistance?

To learn more about this topic, contact the National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD). NCCJD’s goal is to build the capacity of the criminal justice system to respond to gaps in existing services for people with disabilities, focusing on people with I/DD who remain a hidden population within the criminal justice system with little or no access to advocacy supports or services. Police officers and other first responders are key to ensuring positive outcomes for people with I/DD and their families. To learn more about NCCJD, request assistance with a specific case or training, visit NCCJD’s website.”

Emotions

I don’t feel emotions the way I used to feel them. As a matter of fact, many survivors and family members describe changes in their relationships after the injury.

The biggest issue is the difficulty talking to other people or understanding what others are saying. Communication problems can make relating to other people and explaining your thoughts and feelings very difficult. These problems can lead to feeling misunderstood and isolated.

“But you don’t look disabled!”

…the strain of hiding their condition.”

When an individual chooses to discuss their disability, it represents their choice to to identify with, and share information publicly about their disability. Disclosure concerning one’s disability relieves an individual from the strain of hiding their condition.