International Disabilities Center coming to Agoura Hills soon

By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@theacorn.com

STEPHANIE BERTHOLDO/Acorn Newspapers A CENTER OF HOPE-Ground was broken for the development of the International Disabilities Center in Agoura Hills by Joni and Friends, the Disability Ministry of Joni Eareckson Tada. From left to right are: Ken Tada, director of ministry development; Joni Eareckson Tada, founder; Doug Mazza, president; Billy Burnett, vice president/chaplain; and Dan Selleck of Selleck Development Group. The facility will be a multifunctional resource, research and public policy center.

First of two parts

An International Disabilities Center (IDC) will be built at the top of Ladyface Circle next to the Renaissance Hotel in Agoura Hills. The groundbreaking ceremony was conducted earlier this month at the site, followed by a luncheon at the hotel.

Joni and Friends, the Disability Outreach of Joni (pronounced "Johnny") Eareckson Tada, is funding the $9-million pro- ject, which will open by March 1, 2006, according to Doug Mazza, president of Joni and Friends. Dan Selleck will develop the 33,700-square-foot center.

   The disability center will be an extension of Eareckson Tada’s lifelong commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities. Permanently paralyzed from a diving accident at the age of 17, Eareckson Tada runs Christian ministries throughout the world.

   One of those ministries, Wheels for the World, distributes wheelchairs to people who cannot afford one. A brochure details the need: "The explosive growth of Wheels for the World testifies to the critical need for wheelchair distributions in developing countries where the cost of a chair can equal a year’s wages."

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Eareckson Tada said that the seeds for the IDC were planted many years ago. "I’m following the plan and purpose for my injury," she said, adding her belief that one faithful individual can make a tremendous difference in the world.

"In the United States, people with disabilities have it pretty good," Eareckson Tada said. "We live like kings compared to people with disabilities in Ethiopia, Thailand, China, Peru (and other countries)." She explained that she hopes that the outreach programs through the IDC will "create a culture of compassion in other nations."

Joni and Friends conducts outreach programs and ministries throughout the world, offering job training and awareness programs in countries that don’t treat people with disabilities with dignity or as valuable members of society.

The Agoura Hills facility will address problems that people with disabilities face on a daily basis. Steve Appel, director of communications at Joni and Friends, said that the center will be a "Christian remedy" to the high rates of abuse, suicide, drug abuse, divorce and other problems that people with disabilities endure at a much higher rate than people without such health challenges.

"The International Disabilities Center will rise here in Agoura Hills," Eareckson Tada said at the ceremony. "Boy, that pumps my heart."

Appel added that the IDC will also be instrumental in public policy. They plan for the center to become the "authoritative voice" on myriad Christian concerns, including euthanasia, infanticide of disabled newborns, healthcare and Social Security reform, embryonic stem cell research, physician-assisted suicide, cloning, genetic engineering of "designer babies" and many other issues.

"As far as I can tell, we’re the only ones speaking to these issues from a Christian disability perspective," Appel said via e-mail. He added that the center will address and attempt to reform the Americans with Disabilities Act, housing needs, drug abuse among the disabled and the use of abortion as a "disability prevention" strategy.

Joni and Friends hopes that the IDC will be the sole international training center on disability ministry. Appel said that they hope to export the "theology of weakness" around the world, employing the most successful disability ministry models to create "cultures of Christian compassion" in developing nations. The IDC would also produce Joni and Friends radio programs and disability public service announcements to be broadcast worldwide on Christian and secular media outlets.

The center will be the international hub for training, education and communication. The library will house an extensive collection of research materials, including books, manuals, videos and other products for ministry workers and visitors. "Whether the library is visited in person or accessed via the Internet, individuals will find encouragement, a person to speak to, answers to disability concerns, and the love of Jesus Christ," Appel said via e-mail.

A profile on Joni Eareckson Tada will appear in next week’s Acorn.