Access and Disability Justice in Theological Education

Abstract

As more students, staff, faculty, and administrators with disabilities participate in theological education, practices that promote accessibility and inclusive learning environments are essential. Though the topics of access and universal design for learning have surged in popularity among educational scholars and within popular lay sources over the past years, reflection on accessibility among theological schools remains largely under-explored. In this essay, I offer a case study describing the holistic evaluation of accessibility in a seminary. I suggest that pursuits of access and inclusive learning within institutions theological education can and should reflect a praxis of justice. To explore this justice-based approach to accessibility, I introduce one contemporary framework for “disability justice” and reflect on how the principles within this framework might help guide, encourage, and challenge those in the world of theological education toward a more accessible future.