Barriers to Disability Ministry Across Congregations and Service Systems

Although religious participation is important in the lives of many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their presence within faith communities can often be limited. Few studies have examined the reasons for this participation gap. This study explored barriers to disability ministry for adults with IDD through qualitative interviews with 22 ministry leaders across diverse congregational contexts. We found that barriers emerged from two different directions: within congregations (e.g., limited leadership support, volunteer shortages, inadequate resources) and within residential service systems (e.g., staffing constraints, transportation challenges, competing priorities). We address the need for stronger partnerships between congregations and service systems to reduce barriers and support the desired participation of adults with IDD in local faith communities.