What loving those with disability looks like

Tara Sing

Bec Baines believes every church can become more accessible. Growing up hard of hearing, she knows first hand that many of the challenges people face can usually be solved with some simple tweaks and a bit of forethought.

“I’d say I had a foot in two worlds,” says Miss Baines, who attends Wentworthville Anglican. “I have had hearing loss from six months old and when we adopted my brother, he has Down Syndrome. He used signs to help him communicate.” Mrs Baines has also learned Auslan, which opened her world to the Deaf community.

Being hard of hearing has never bothered Mrs Baines, but throughout life she has had to make adjustments. “I just use one hearing aid, and that works

“It’s about belonging” fine for me,” she says. “In school, I always sat in the front left of the classroom because I could hear from my right ear. In a church building, the acoustics make it hard [to hear]. I’m fairly open, so I might position people on my right and explain to people who ask that it’s so I can hear them.”

Her experience, which has included a foster brother with autism and working as a support worker, has fuelled a passion for ensuring churches are accessible to all people.

“In history, churches have always advocated for people who are ostracised or pushed out,” she says. “We need to be a place where people feel welcomed and can have good access. It’s not just about inclusion, it’s about belonging. A lot of adults with disabilities don’t have many friends. Can churches be a genuine community that goes out to bring people in?

“How do we love the people and families of the people who have disabilities? We live in a world where everything is fast and efficient – almost survival of the fittest – but I think people can really take value [from] slowing

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If you share Jesus’ heart for older people, then Anglicare is where you can do the best work of your life.