Accessible Church
Where Faith Meets Accessibility
This tool was created with a simple hope: that every faith community might become a place of belonging for all people. It offers a way to look with fresh eyes at our buildings, our practices, and our hearts, asking how we can better reflect God’s inclusive love in all we do.
This is not just about access. It is about relationship, hospitality, and the shared call to love our neighbors well. Whether your community is just beginning this journey or continuing a long commitment to inclusion, this tool is meant to help you take the next faithful step toward a more accessible and welcoming church.
Why Accessibility Matters
Accessibility in the church is not just about removing barriers. It is about embodying God’s love through inclusion and justice. When every person can fully participate in worship, leadership, and community, we reflect the truth that all are created in the image of God.
Jesus’ ministry showed us that no one is left out of God’s kingdom. Making our churches accessible ensures that people with disabilities, along with their families and communities, are not only welcomed but also valued as essential members of the Body of Christ. Accessibility is a way of practicing justice, honoring dignity, and living out God’s call to love one another.
Disability is the largest minority group in the US & the World
One in four adults lives with a disability, reminding us that accessibility is not an optional gesture of kindness—it’s a sacred responsibility. The Church is called to be a place where every body and mind can worship freely, lead fully, and belong completely.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024. “Disability Impacts All of Us.”
Awareness
Only about 1 in 10 faith communities provide disability training for their congregation. That gap is more than a missed workshop. It signals the absence of shared language, awareness, and discipleship around disability inclusion. When the wider body is not equipped to understand access, prejudice and barriers go unchallenged. Expanding that 10 percent is not just about education. It is a commitment to practicing love, hospitality, and justice in real and tangible ways.
Sources: Collaborative on Faith & Disability
Disability Types
Cognitive disability is both the most common and often the most overlooked disability category. Faith communities must be intentional about increasing cognitive access so that no one is left out of worship, fellowship, or leadership.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024. “Disability Impacts All of Us.”
About the Developer
This project was developed by Hunter Morrison, as her final Master’s project, bringing together academic study, professional expertise, and personal mission. Hunter holds a Bachelor’s degree, a Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies, and a Master’s degree with a focus on disability access in the church. She also earned her ADA Coordinator Certification from the University of Missouri in 2025, combining deep knowledge of disability law and practice with a heart for ministry.
Coming into the church world as an adult, Hunter quickly recognized how often accessibility was overlooked in worship, teaching, and community life. This realization shaped her calling: to help faith communities build environments of belonging and justice for all people.
Through this project, Hunter seeks to support congregations in their journey toward accessibility—not just as a checklist, but as a lived expression of faith and inclusion. She is also available for consulting, training, and accessibility planning to help churches and faith-based organizations evaluate and improve their spaces, practices, and digital presence with both compassion and compliance in mind.
