Free articles from the Journal of the Christian Institute on Disability

The Joni and Friends organization's Christian Institute on Disability launched the Journal of the Christian Institute on Disability one year ago.  Subscriptions are available at their website.

You can also free copies of two articles from the first two issues.  This is something that the journal plans to provide with every issue: one free downloadable article.

The first free article is...

What Would Be Better?

Social Role Valorization and the Development of

Ministry to Persons Affected by Disability 
  MA R C   T U M E I N S K I   A N D   J E F F   MCNA I R


 

There is much that Christian churches can learn from relevant secular

approaches and adapt to support integration and participation within our

congregations for adults with impairments. One of these approaches is

Social Role Valorization developed by Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger. In this

approach, one considers the relevance of image and competency of devalued

individuals and how these two areas impact access to “the good things

of life.” This article applies these principles to the inclusion of vulnerable

congregational members into the life of the Christian church, asking the

question, “What would be better?” as a prompt for those in leadership to

reflect on their current practices with an eye toward maturity in their practices

as they intersect the lives of devalued people.

 

The second free article is...

 

Almost Friends

JENNIFER BACA AND JEFF MCNAIR

 

A survey was conducted of human services professionals working with

individuals with developmental disabilities regarding issues related to

friendship. Seventy-six percent agreed that there is a difference in friendship

between people being paid to be with a consumer of services and

those choosing to be with that same individual. The authors concluded

that it appears that those individuals serving persons with developmental

disabilities are “almost friends” in that although they are potentially

friendly, they are paid to be with those with whom they interact, and that

for these and a variety of other reasons are not able to be real friends.

To download these articles, go to the following website.

http://www.joniandfriends.org/jcid/enjoy-two-free-jcid-articles/

 

Enjoy!

McNair