CROWTHER JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) all over the world suffer one form of ableism or another. Ableism occurs in both secular and religious environments. Disability, according to Robin (2011:1930) is “a defect that prevents someone from participating in "normal" life activities. It could be a physical or mental problem and could have been life-long or one that resulted from an accident or illness later in life.” Ableism, on the other hand, is defined by Natowicz and Deming (2024) as "the belief that bodies that don’t look or work the same as others are less important or less valuable. It also suggests that our abilities and appearance determine our social worth." It is unfortunate that the Christian Holy Bible contain passages that exacerbate ableism. Thankfully, however, the PWDs have remained resilient in a bid to survive in the ableist world. This paper is set to critically analyze some biblical passages that help to fuel ableism with a view to encouraging the PWDS to remain resilient in spite of the hostile environment they live in. Data for this paper was drawn from secondary sources which included scriptural passages, newspaper, magazine and journal articles, books and Internet resources. Analyzed using documentary analysis, it was also based on the charity theory of disability which postulates that the PWDs survive solely on support. The paper concluded that, with ableism out of the way and some encouragement, the PWDs can lead normal and productive lives.

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