God Has
a Plan For
Me Too
By Becky Tyler
15 year old Becky spoke at our recent Roofbreaker event.
She writes: I have quadriplegic cerebral palsy. At birth my
brain had no oxygen for so long, I nearly died. My brain
can’t control my muscles. I can’t sit up unaided, stand up,
balance or walk. I find it hard to eat. I can’t talk with my
mouth so I ‘speak’ using a communication aid with my
eyes.
Becky brought an inspirational message to our Roofbreaker
event in Ashtead
Disabled people are made in God’s image and loved by
God just like non-disabled people. We’re not inferior if our
bodies or minds work differently. No part of the body can
tell another part it’s not needed (1 Corinthians 12.21).
Disabled people are a much needed part of the body of
Christ.
God has a wheelchair too (Daniel 7.9) and God’s plans
include everyone. I have a superpower – my ability to use
eye-gaze technology to talk and use a computer. It’s the
only thing I can do completely independently. God uses
my eye-gaze skills to reach other people. At Greenbelt I
preached to over 6,000 people!
I love my powered wheelchair, it helps me get around. But
I can’t go where there are stairs, narrow doorways or
corridors. I can’t use standard disabled toilets; they’re not
big enough for my wheelchair, and I need a hoist. So
without a suitable toilet, I have to wear a pad or go home.
I want to feel I belong in and contribute to a community,
but for that my basic needs must be catered for. Is your
baptistery accessible to someone who can’t walk? Why do
baptisteries have steps and no hoists? Communication is a
challenge for me. It can take a long time to write a
sentence, so it’s difficult to have conversations and make
friends. My pet hate is being spoken to like a baby. People
are often scared to talk to me because they don’t know
how, or what to say.
Sudden noises like screechy PA systems or loud worship
events startle me and give me uncontrollable movements.
It makes my head physically hurt and I have to leave.
Buildings can be made accessible. Ramps are betters than
stairs! Chairs are more accessible and inclusive than pews.
I’m grateful my local church has installed a Changing
Places toilet so I can stay and belong to the community
there.
Becky preaching at Greenbelt last year
Disabled people are not people you do ministry for, they
are people you do ministry with. Disability ministry is
about doing church together. When communicating,
don’t just talk to my parents or carer, please talk to me.
Training courses in ministry subjects and theological
studies are not so accessible to disabled people like me. I
hope this will change. God has a plan for us too!
www.throughtheroof.org