Inclusion, Access, Belonging and Welcome

Moving beyond inclusion toward a welcome that leads to belonging within faith communities.

Abstract

While the term “inclusion” has been heralded as an aspirational goal within much of the Special Education and Disability Ministry literature, there remains a lack of shared understanding on what that term entails. This review seeks to examine the term and its implications. Furthermore, this review seeks to proffer an alternative term of “belonging,” which moves beyond traditional uses of both inclusion and access. Moreover, this essay seeks to provide a framework in which a welcome that leads to belonging can be realized within local faith communities.