Disability, Accessibility & Inclusion

The “Equipping and Building Accessible and Whole Communities” panel at the 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress in Cleveland offered practical guidance for parishes to become more welcoming and supportive of people with disabilities and their families. Speakers

NEW YORK — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America received Dr. Stelios Kympouropoulos at the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Dr. Kympouropoulos was recently appointed by the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos

On Sunday mornings, Abby Vlahos’s day begins before most people are awake. She rises with her nine-year-old son, Cosmas, who wakes at dawn. Then it’s full speed–active play, movement, conversation, a walk–before most people have

Every Sunday morning at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plaines, IL, a small group of children gather in a classroom. The room, intentionally quiet and calm, is filled with soft voices,

Growing up in Armenia, the Divine Liturgy felt like heaven to a young Deacon Tigran Khachikyan. But born Deaf, and with no interpreters present, he did not understand the words or their meaning. Today, he

The Orthodox Christian Deaf Association (OCDA) will host its second annual conference, The Word Made Flesh, April 17–19, 2026, at St. John of the Ladder in Greenville, South Carolina. The conference welcomes Orthodox Deaf, Hard

The FREEDOM National Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America partnered with the Department of Marriage & Family Ministry to record a powerful new podcast episode examining a critical issue: What makes children with

On Friday, February 13th, 2026, the Archangel Michael Church hosted their third annual “Night to Shine”, in honor of Samantha Eliades, funded by Like A Daisy and sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. This global

What began over three decades ago as the visionary Challenge Liturgy Program, founded by Fr. Dennis Strouzas and Manny and Marina Katsoulis at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Port Washington, New York, has blossomed

For decades, the steep steps and uneven levels of St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church in Peabody, Massachusetts were simply quirks of a parish that had grown over a century of ministry.  Fr. Christopher Foustoukos, Proistamenos

The following article was submitted by Jackie Morfesis, a parishioner from Charleston, South Carolina. I cannot express the depth of gratitude I have for the decision to allow service dogs in our Greek Orthodox churches

Over the course of October, the Archdiocese and its Center for Family Care recognized National Disability Employment Awareness Month by highlighting the experiences and contributions of Orthodox Christians with disabilities and by spreading awareness of

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). As a step toward educating Orthodox Observer readers about the ordination of men with disabilities, Fr. John Chryssavgis answered questions from the Observer‘s Managing Editor Corinna Robinson. Fr. Chryssavgis is Archdeacon

eVero, a platform which facilitates care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), isn’t just a streamlining service. In October of 2000, two brothers co-founded an organization that is transforming how services are delivered

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the U.S., and many subcategories of disabilities, syndromes, and conditions are featured particularly in October, including Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Blind (White Cane Day), Deaf,

Disability theology is probably among the most misunderstood terms in Eastern Orthodoxy. Some see it as unnecessary, a newly invented terminology for describing something that was already there, i.e. illness and suffering, but the majority of faithful have not yet reflected on the topic, leaving it for those who have a vested interest in it (i.e. persons with disabilities and their carers).

What do we fail to understand about the lived experienced of disabled Christians in our parishes? What changes can we make to include them fully in the life of the Church?

Representatives from the twelve OBOA pilot parishes received initial training toward implementing best practices for accessibility. 

Presvytera Melanie DiStefano and Rachael Giannis join Fr. Chris Metropulos from Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) to discuss existing barriers for disabled individuals in parish life, and how these problems are being, and can be, addressed.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America took a historic step toward greater inclusion with the organization of a multi-day conference Gathered as One Body: Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion in the Orthodox Church, which opened on May 1st,2025 at Taxiarchae Greek Orthodox Church in Watertown, MA.

Day two of “Gathered as One Body,” a conference dedicated to disability, accessibility, and inclusion in the Orthodox Church, opened with Divine Liturgy celebrated at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Weston, MA.

On the evening of May 1st, “Gathered as One Body: Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion in the Orthodox Church,” an unprecedented, multi-day conference bringing together Orthodox hierarchs and clergymen, theologians and lay leaders, as well as numerous parishioners and disability advocates representing a panoply of enriching perspectives, commenced at Taxiarchae Greek Orthodox Church in Watertown, MA.

Do you wish there were others to talk to with whom you can share your experiences and concerns and who understand our faith, our culture and our community?

The Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross invites you to GATHERED AS ONE BODY, a groundbreaking conference dedicated to fostering accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities within the Orthodox Church.