Faith, Policy, and Community Come Together in Lancaster for “Encountering Disability”
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Asia Tabb
AIRED; October 27, 2025
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At St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, a new three-day program called Encountering Disability is sparking dialogue about faith, inclusion, and the human experience. The event, running November 1–3, brings together community partners, advocates, and educators to explore how faith communities can help bridge gaps between disability, policy, and public health.
The initiative was inspired by Dennis Downey, a community leader and scholar whose work has long focused on disability and social justice. “It came together with the community partners under the inspiration of somebody who is dear to us all, Dennis Downey,” said Father David Peck, rector at St. James. “He draws together community, policy, and public health very practically and very attractively.”
Father Peck explained that Encountering Disability aims to build real connections between professionals and those with lived experience. “What we’ve missed is community engagement with thought leaders who can connect across the insecurities that separate professionals from people with disabilities,” he said. “We’re going to draw together across three days those opportunities.”
Each day of the program focuses on a different form of engagement — from contemplative practices that connect body and spirit, to panel discussions and reflections at Millersville University. “We want to demonstrate how a community like St. James and the Urban Well can model and teach us how to open ourselves,” Father Peck said. “The more I encounter your strength and resilience, the more strong and resilient I become.”
Marisa Brown, a longtime advocate and parent of an adult son with autism, said she’s encouraged by the growing energy among younger advocates. “Advocates play such an important role,” Brown said. “We have to always remember the saying, ‘Nothing about us without us,’ because otherwise you just don’t know — you only know what you know.”
Brown reflected on her experience mentoring new advocates, including during her time at Georgetown University, where she worked on ethical questions related to disability and healthcare. “Our community advisory council was essential,” she explained. “They helped make sure every case study and every checklist truly reflected lived experience.”
For Father Peck, Encountering Disability represents more than a conversation — it’s a commitment to lasting change. “We are able to share in each other’s lives and deepen an understanding of what it means to be fully human,” he said. “The gifts and talents of us all across the generations can be released for each other in a flourishing humanity.”
The program’s organizers hope the Lancaster community will come away with a new appreciation for inclusion — not as an abstract goal, but as a daily practice of connection. “We’re not perfect communities,” Father Peck said, “but we can live and learn together.”
