Published: 2025-08-27

Experiences of People with Intellectual Disabilities in Religious Communities – Report from Participatory Research

Agnieszka Żyta , Monika Parchomiuk , Katarzyna Ćwirynkało
Pedagogical Forum
Section: Articles and essays
https://doi.org/10.21697/fp.2025.1.14

Abstract

A religious community (RC) creates a local environment that is important for many people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Relatively little is known about how participation in the life of such communities is perceived by people with ID, how they evaluate the behaviour of clergy and lay members of religious gatherings when they attend masses, prayers and participate in religious rituals together. This report is the result of an analysis of 34 individual interviews with adults with ID conducted by researchers in a participatory research project. People with ID are critical and active observers, with a range of positive and negative experiences, also related to the existence of the disability, affecting their level of engagement with the community.

Keywords:

Intellectual disability, religious community, participatory research, faith, experiences

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Citation rules

Żyta, A., Parchomiuk, M., & Ćwirynkało, K. (2025). Experiences of People with Intellectual Disabilities in Religious Communities – Report from Participatory Research. Pedagogical Forum, 15(1), 161–172. https://doi.org/10.21697/fp.2025.1.14

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