Devotional presentation on Disability
Disability is a comprehensive term used to describe human impairments of various kinds, such as visual impairment, hearing impairment, learning impairment, etc. Webster dictionary defines disability as, “a condition (such as an illness or an injury) that damages or limits a person's physical or mental abilities.” People suffering from disabilities can be found in all cultures across the world, and it is a problem that has affected human lives since biblical times. Therefore, dealing with the disabled is an international social welfare issue that policymakers cannot ignore. The bible endorses policy implementation to care for the disabled. In Leviticus 19:14 (NIV), when God gave his laws to the children
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The story of Mephibosheth is a great illustration of the attitude Jesus wants us to adopt toward the disabled. In this story, King David was inquiring about Saul’s family, because he wanted to express his gratitude to them because of Jonathan’s kindness toward him when he was oppressed. King David was informed about Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son who was lame in both feet. When brought before the King, “Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9:8 NIV) The story went on to say that King David blessed Mephibosheth with riches and servants, treating him as one of his own …show more content…
It is crucial to know and understand the challenges physically, psychologically and otherwise that the people living with the specific impairment face before developing the policy. Mephibosheth thought of himself as an “old dog”, ‘a good for nothing’ as we may say, but David treated him as his own son, linking him to opportunities that empowered him to find his own strength to live a purposeful life. This should be the superseding goal of any policy directed toward helping the disabled. We must first understand what their disability means to them, and use the information gained as a basis to develop policies to