In a world that tends to lump all people with disabilities and chronic illnesses into one group (called “the disabled”), we need to know that we are unique and valued beings worthy of a respect and love. We believe that all people- including those with disabilities and chronic illnesses-are made in the image of God/ Goddesses. Whatever God/Goddess is like, we are a part of that. To live in the image of God/ Goddess means self respect, acceptance and using our unique gifts creatively and courageously in this world. Liz Richards states, “For me, hope is believing and expecting that my life has meaning, that I will grow and learn and have fun and love and be loved. It is believing and expecting that my life will be full and interesting, regardless of my physical ability or my health. It is the profound awareness that my body, just as it is, is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and that as such I am a precious part of creation.”

If we do not value our selves, we do not take care of ourselves. Yet our very existence means we need to be attentive to our body-selves and our mental well-being. So often we have been taught that we are unacceptable and that our problems are our fault. Frequently we have experienced situations in which we are demeaned, and humiliated. If our needs vary from day to day, we are seen as unreliable. If our disabilities or illnesses are not clearly visible, we are seen as imposters. We need to know we are loved and valued as we are.

Mutual Relationships
Being connected to others in just and mutual relationships is equally important. All of us have experienced silencing. We have been actively discouraged from talking about what our lives are like-about the pain, the frustration, the anger, the lack of resources and access that confront us in a society focused on activities, on doing and on fixing, people with chronic illnesses and disabilities are an enigma. We cannot be fixed. We find that generally people want to do something when what we need is someone just to be near, to accompany us. Some are willing to help for a while, but usually people expect us to get better and get discouraged when we do not. Other times there is a level of condescension when groups are pleased that they have two or three participants with disabilities and thus think they have dealt with "that issue." Friendship as a political and spiritual act of justice requires taking people seriously-and hanging in for the long haul. Friendships, positive family relationships and/or inclusive communities are essential to our spiritual well-being.

Moreover, social supports and social analysis are required for women with disabilities and chronic illnesses to live well in our society. Little of the social and physical construction of North American society is encouraging to people who live with disabilities. Accessibility is a major issue. We want to be seen as part of the whole of society and to be active in the naming and shaping of the common good, in setting norms and standards for the whole group that will allow us and all people to participate freely and fully.

This means that those without disabilities and chronic illnesses need to listen to our needs and take seriously the realities of our lives. Often people with power and able bodies and minds want us to take tare of them. They want us to educate them about our needs and remind them of those needs so that they do not have to remember themselves. in a spirituality of justice, we believe that the onus . is on the able to learn about the members of their group and community that do not live with bodily and mental privilege. From our perspectives, what makes communities spiritual is the capacity to integrate diverse realities, to connect people to each other, and to seek justice and safety for those who hold least power.

Need for Safety

For some of us, our physical safety is a primary focus. Many of us have to know what our environment will be like before we go somewhere in order to have the assurance that our bodies will be able to tope. For those of us who live with mental illnesses, safety is extremely important. Some of us live with the consequences of having had unsafe childhoods and now in adulthood need to find means of survival that allow spaces of safety without feeling overwhelmed.

If we could give a gift to all people with disabilities and chronic illnesses it would be permission to feel anger and grief, and to have safe spaces to explore and express the wide range of feelings that well inside. Working together in this Collective has given us new permission to speak the truth of our lives and to acknowledge, with a level of safety, the feelings we have.

Feminist Vision

Vision is also part of our spiritual practice. Our work together has led us to the belief that we need imagination as well as accessibility and daily survival strategies. Part of being feminist is creating visions. It is political to have a vision-and expression of feminist spirituality is by nature a political act. Part of our function as feminists is to create visions of a different way of life.