In times past, and to some degree even today, having a family member with a disability was considered embarrassing; there was a sense of shame. And so the family would shelter their member with a disability away from public view. Hiding a person away is no way to express the truth that persons with disability are fully human, made in the image of God despite physical, mental, emotional, and social deficits.
Charlotte Riggle addresses these matters in her post below, showing the various ways that persons with disabilities can be seen. There is no reason that they should not be seen everywhere! There is every reason that exposure on all fronts would help those of us who consider ourselves “normal” to understand and learn to appreciate their neighbors with disabilities and to become their friends.
In the latter portion of the post there are listed Orthodox Christian Saints who had disabilities.
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