People have varying levels of functionality, both mental and physical. Some have small issues that limit a few tasks. Some have large issues that make everything harder. These may be soft limits that can be gotten around or hard limits that cannot. It is much easier to cope with challenges given support from friends, family, and covenmates. So if you have a disability, look for ways you can still pursue Witchcraft; if you know someone who is disabled, treat them with compassion and encourage them to pursue their own goals.
While most people are fully abled at any given time, many people have also experienced temporary disabilities. When planning how to manage disability in a magical and spiritual context, remember that even healthy people are one bad illness or car crash away from needing accommodations for a while. There are even happy causes for temporary limitations. It is a lot simpler to adapt your coven practices for a pregnant friend who can’t stand for more than fifteen minutes if you have already thought about handling mobility issues. So let’s look at some of the options.
Tolerance versus Inclusivity
There are two levels of acceptance when it comes to disability. Tolerance means putting up with people and providing minimum accommodations. They may be able to get in but won’t necessarily feel welcome, and this is why many disabled people wind up isolated. A park that has curb cuts but little or nothing for disabled people to do once they get in there is merely tolerant. Inclusivity means actively encouraging people of all abilities to join in and designing the space and events so they can mingle comfortably. One-piece picnic tables aren’t very accessible from a wheelchair, but if there’s one with separate benches or chairs, then it’s easy to move the unneeded seats to make room for a wheelchair. If possible, aim for inclusivity, not just tolerance.
Another aspect of inclusivity is representation. “Nothing about us without us” is an excellent rule of thumb. It means asking people with disabilities what they want or need and then acting on that. Ideally, encourage them to take active roles in coven leadership. It is much easier to attract a diverse membership if potential contacts can tell that you already have a mixed group working together, not just tokens. If your crone uses a walker decorated with runes, then the young man with cerebral palsy is more likely to ask about joining because he can see what accommodations you’re already providing for your crone.
There is an important difference between temporary guests and permanent coven members. Many accommodations that work once in a while are difficult or impossible to keep using on a frequent basis. Conversely, accommodations that are cost-effective in the long term may be utterly unaffordable in the short term. For instance, we happen to have two steps at the door of our house. For a while we had a friend in a wheelchair visiting for some of our events, and it was no trouble to spare a couple of folks to boost the wheels over the steps. If that had been a housemate or coven member, however, we probably would’ve wanted to build a ramp. So when you’re thinking about tolerance versus inclusivity, consider the level and frequency of need before deciding which accommodations to offer.
In some cases, facilities or organizations are required to make certain accommodations. Tolerance is generally considered a moral imperative, but there are practical benefits too. Any disability teaches a person to think outside the box; creative problem-solving is useful in all organizations. Each disability has its own quirks and occasionally perks, such as a deaf person running the smoothie bar because a shrieking blender doesn’t bother them. “Intentional neighboring” is a community concept in which people trade off to compensate for each other’s strengths and weaknesses. A person with PTSD might happily do the pet grooming that an elder can no longer do comfortably, while the elder makes phone calls the other guy’s nerves can’t take. This works on a coven scale too. The more different people you have, the easier it becomes to find someone for each task so everything gets done.
Types of Disabilities
A disability is any condition that prevents someone from doing things or requires them to do things in a different way from the usual. For instance, a fully blind person cannot see at all but can learn to read Braille instead of inked text. There are many different types of disability, which can range from minor to major and may be temporary or permanent. Someone with a broken leg may need crutches or a wheelchair for a couple of months while the bone heals and then be fine. Someone who has lost a leg may walk with a prosthetic leg or may prefer a wheelchair—or even use both at different times. Disabilities can be visible, such as bad burn scars that limit mobility, or invisible, such as a traumatic brain injury that wrecks many mental skills.
Disabilities are more common than most folks realize. About 56.7 million people in America have a recognized disability, which is roughly 19 percent of the population. Among the more common examples are mobility impairment (30.6 million); lifting/grasping limitations (19.9 million); trouble with instrumental activities of daily living, such as preparing meals or using the phone (15.5 million); trouble with other activities of daily living, such as dressing or eating (9.4 million); vision impairment (8.1 million); hearing impairment (7.6 million); and anxiety or depression (7 million). There are many other physical and mental conditions that limit what people can do or require creative solutions to do things. Some folks have limitations that are not generally considered disabilities but may cause similar challenges.
Laws regarding disclosure and accommodations vary widely in what they require and who is or is not obligated to follow them. Ideally, you should check your local laws regarding individuals and organizations to see what applies to you. In general, it is not acceptable to demand intimate health information from people; they don’t have to disclose a disability. On the bright side, you don’t need to know their health issues; you only need to know what accommodations they require. Frame your questions gently and in terms of what people need.
Another good rule of thumb is “reasonable accommodations.” Many things can be done free or cheaply, just by changing the order or location of activities or by finding a volunteer to give someone a hand in the potluck line so they don’t drop their cane while juggling their plate. However, anything sold to people with disabilities tends to be ruinously expensive, which means that some accommodations are possible in theory but unaffordable in practice, while others are just too complicated for untrained people to manage. A frank discussion about what’s reasonable or not will save you a lot of stress, especially if you do it in private rather than having an impromptu argument during a ritual. Check your local resources, because even if you can’t offer a certain accommodation, sometimes there are organizations that will provide free equipment or services to people with a disability—for instance, getting a sign language interpreter at a large event.
If you want to make your coven more inclusive, there are two logical ways to start. Should you already have some members with a disability, first check with them to see if more accommodations would make it easier for them to participate. Otherwise, consider working on one broad type of disability at a time, starting with the most common (mobility impairment). Examine your practices and places to see what improvements could be made. Do what you can, and then move on to another disability. That will make it easier to accept new members, whatever they happen to need.
In any case, disability-friendly covens and other Pagans should specify that in their publicly visible materials. Not all groups are tolerant, let alone welcoming, so people learn to watch for clues. Just saying “We welcome all ability levels” is helpful. “This venue is fully wheelchair-accessible” or “This will be a silent ritual” are even more informative. “If you need assistance or accommodations for special needs, please ask (contact information)” encourages people to seek help instead of hanging back because they don’t want to bother you. If you display pictures of your members or events, ask visibly disabled members whether or not they are comfortable appearing there. Many aren’t, but that just contributes to folks not feeling welcome when they look at group snapshots. Visibility helps if people are willing.
Types of Accommodations
Accommodations are tools or techniques that compensate for a disability and allow people to do more stuff. There are countless variations on this theme but a few big clusters that are useful for solving common problems. Understand that while some solutions work for many different disabilities, there is no such thing as universal design. That’s because some disabilities have opposite needs. For example, deaf people benefit from having large open spaces with clear lines of sight so they can see what people are saying or signing; they don’t do as well when enclosed by lots of walls or in dim lighting. Blind people benefit from having plenty of walls to follow with a hand, cane, or guide dog. They aren’t bothered by dim light, but they may find large open spaces disorienting and difficult to navigate. People with mobility issues may need flat surfaces and places to sit down, whereas people with high energy may need lots of vigorous activity before they can sit still during ritual. Sensory issues go both ways: some folks are sensation avoiders and some are sensory seekers, and they really aren’t comfortable in the same environment.
So in planning accommodations, you need to do several things. First, look for things that are accessible to more people, such as renting a venue with both stairs and ramps. Options are good. Second, check the people who will be at that event for their particular needs and prioritize those over abstract checklists. If you have deaf people but no wheelchair users, prefer the big bright hall with six steps over the place with ramps but cramped rooms and crummy lights. Third, if you have members with conflicting needs, consider catering to each at a different time or location. A person with an assistance animal and someone with asthma or fur allergies may not be compatible in close proximity, but could each be accommodated in a different room or session. Fourth, consider your own needs and limitations, as they may change over time. Think creatively when approaching challenges, since many can be overcome. Finally, if you’re borrowing space, understand that you cannot trust claims unless you verify them yourself. People forget about that one step up to the toilet. Check it personally.
Here are some ideas for accommodations that can help with many types of disability:
Walking, climbing, and rolling: Hold events on firm, flat space that doesn’t require steps or steep slopes to access. If indoors, ask for clearance width of wheelchairs, walkers, and so on, and carry a measure through the space to make sure everything will fit. Make sure the distance from parking to ritual space is comfortable for people to travel. If you schedule events in wilder space such as parks, it helps to give a distance and difficulty level: “The handfasting will be one-quarter mile down Bluebird Trail (rated Easy).”
Standing and sitting: Standing on a soft surface like grass or carpet is much better than hardwood or concrete. Comfortable, padded chairs are better than bare wood or metal. Discreetly ask how long people can stand comfortably. Fully seated rituals are better if you have members with mobility or standing issues. Another option is dividing ritual tasks—for instance, seated drummers and moving dancers. Of course, some people dance in wheelchairs, so let your participants decide.
Lifting, holding, and doing: For people who struggle with a lot of little tasks, it’s often helpful to have a volunteer assistant. They may need a hand with holding the chalice, fastening their coven robes, and so forth. Be as matter-of-fact as possible; everyone needs help sometimes. This is a place where affordable aids can be super useful, such as ergonomic grips or Velcro straps.
Reading and writing: Print ritual text in large type or do without a script. Use whiteboards or notepads with high-contrast ink instead of blackboards or electronic screens for large group presentations. Drawing in dirt or sand can work great too. Braille typewriters are expensive, but a stylus and punchboard are cheap. For colorblindness, use symbols in addition to colors for elements or deities.
Hearing and speaking: Offer communication via text message or email instead of phone. Provide ritual outlines in text, and visual cues for actions. Book a sign language translator at large events. If you have deaf covenmates who sign, seriously consider learning at least the basics of their sign language. A smartphone or notebook is great for quick conversations with someone who cannot hear or speak well, whether that’s a permanent limit or fresh dental work. Nonverbal folks may do fine with a visual interface such as icons.
Feeling and being: Set up a quiet corner or room in case of emotional overload or energy upheavals. Good shields are soothing to most folks. Avoid sudden noises, flashes, or other surprises in ritual. Let people take breaks if necessary, especially during daylong sabbats or other major events. Reassure anxious people that it’s okay to feel stressed and they can participate as much or as little as they feel comfortable. Help depressed folks find satisfying activities within their available energy level. Festivals can provide a booth for emotional first aid as well as physical first aid.
Food and drink: Allergies and other dietary limitations are skyrocketing, so every group should take care with this. Also, some medications are incompatible with certain substances. At potlucks, put a card on each dish with its ingredients. When serving a group, favor things that avoid the most common allergens. Our coven rules are (1) nobody has to be able to eat everything on the table, (2) there has to be something that everybody can reasonably fill up on, and (3) for any allergy that could require an ambulance if triggered, that item doesn’t go on the table when that person is present.
Better living through chemistry: If your coven has a no-drugs policy, please emphasize that it applies to things that impair clear thought, not to things required for clear thought! If you work outdoors, allergy supplies may be widely needed in the warm season. In a group with several folks on maintenance medication, you might remind everyone to make sure they’ve taken everything they should have before important activities begin.
Magical and Spiritual Concerns
Some disability issues interact with magic and spirituality in ways that create different dynamics than the mainstream. One example is that including people with disabilities can broaden other people’s perspectives. For example, a coven with deaf members might do some silent rituals, or one with blind members might work in darkness sometimes. A coven whose members have PTSD, anxiety, depression, or other mental issues might choose chthonic work or guided meditation to explore deep areas of the psyche. This all leads to very different experiences in circle compared to the usual techniques. On that note, it is common for a group to have people with several different limitations, in which case rotating the focus among them would make for fresh experiences on a regular basis.
Don’t forget what we might think of as mystical disabilities. Some things are described so consistently in Pagan references that anyone who can’t do it that way will have serious trouble making progress. For example, almost all magic is described in visual terms; people who think more in audio terms struggle to master basic skills such as grounding, centering, and shielding because the instructions don’t make sense to them. Change the description to audio metaphors and they may do just fine. Some people can’t sense energy. If everyone else in the group can, the one who can’t will probably feel left out and may have a hard time following what everyone else is doing, unless you account for that in your ritual planning.
These aren’t things you’ll find in standard materials on disability, but they can absolutely make your coven life more complicated. The same basic process applies, though: ask the person what would help them and do that if at all possible. Think about what they want to accomplish and different ways to try doing it. Don’t fall into the habit of thinking that there is “one true way” to do things.
Selected Resources
Cohen, Judy. “Disability Etiquette: Tips on Interacting with People with Disabilities.” Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association. Accessed November 3, 2017. https://ada.osu.edu/designguidance/disability%20ettiquite.pdf.
Kirshman, Norman H., and Roger L. Grandgenett II. “ADA: The 10 Most Common Disabilities and How to Accommodate.” LegalBrief Law Journal 2 (1997). http://legalbrief.com/kirshman.html.
United States Census Bureau. “Nearly 1 in 5 People Have a Disability in the U.S., Census Bureau Reports.” July 25, 2012. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/miscellaneous/cb12-134.html.