Access and Belonging: Pedagogical Reflections from the Communities of L’ Arche for Religious Education

Opportunities and challenges exist within the academic study of religion to shape it towards a more equitable welcome of people with intellectual disabilities. The spiritual wisdom and perspective of people with intellectual disabilities can, in turn, contribute to expanding the horizons and commitments of religious scholarship. This paper argues for co-created religious teaching and learning communities of belonging across ability variability and proposes pedagogical considerations that foreground access and inclusion. The paper draws on constructive insights from the values and practices of the international network of L’Arche communities, examples from L’Arche and elsewhere demonstrating accessibility and disability leadership, and the theory and practice of Universal Design for Learning.