Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Advocating for Disability Rights.

On June 20, 2025, Hitches and Voices turned its attention to a powerful yet sometimes overlooked force in the fight for disability inclusion — faith-based organizations. This edition featured Fr. Benedict Onwugbenu, Executive Director of the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), who shared how religious institutions can play a transformative role in breaking stigma, changing mindsets, and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Fr. Benedict began by grounding the discussion in a core faith principle — that every person, with or without a disability, is created in the image of God and therefore deserves love, dignity, and acceptance. He noted that in many communities, misconceptions about disability stem from long-standing superstitions, cultural bias, and misinformation, often reinforced within family and faith circles.

“Knowledge is power,” he stressed. “If leaders don’t know better, they can’t do better.” For this reason, he emphasized the urgent need to educate religious leaders, who hold deep influence over their congregations, on the realities of disability and the importance of inclusion. By replacing superstition with truth and empathy, faith-based communities can become safe havens of acceptance rather than sources of stigma.

Fr. Benedict also pointed out that when PWDs are given the right support and encouragement, they are able to flourish, using their talents to contribute meaningfully to society. Faith-based organizations, with their strong networks and moral authority, are uniquely positioned to lead awareness campaigns, advocate for policy enforcement, and ensure that inclusion becomes a lived reality in both religious and secular spaces.

The conversation made one thing clear: advocacy for disability rights is not just a legal or social duty — for faith-based organizations, it is also a spiritual calling.

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