Statement of Purpose

The rights, needs and wants of many individuals with disabilities, including the basic need for freedom of spiritual expression, have been denied consistently. Many people with disabilities experience limited opportunities for spiritual expression. Especially acute is the denial of opportunities and supports related to spiritual exploration and expression for those who live in institutional and other restrictive settings.

Rationale

Faith and spirituality may offer positive supports to people with disabilities, as they do for others in our communities. Because we firmly maintain that an individual’s spiritual beliefs could be representative of an entire array of beliefs, definitions, expressions, and faith communities, TASH supports a range of expressions of spirituality that communicate value and respect for all individuals. The Spirituality Committee of TASH exists to support various spiritual issues of people with disabilities but does not advance any specific faith or religion. TASH supports opportunities for spiritual expression for individuals with disabilities, both privately and in community.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT TASH, an international advocacy association of people with disabilities, their family members, other advocates and people who work in the disability field, believes that all people with disabilities have the right to spiritual expression including the reflection upon and sharing of spiritual purposes for their lives. TASH further supports the right of individuals with disabilities to participate in spiritual expression or organized religion as they so choose and promotes the provision of any and all supports needed by people with disabilities to so participate.