There was a time in my life when VBS was a big part of my personality.

When I was in elementary school, my dad worked for the VBS department at LifeWay, and pretty much every pencil, keychain, and hat I ever used had a VBS logo. VBS was also a very big deal at my church, so once I was too old to attend, I immediately started volunteering. And while it's often fun and a little silly, it's also a great tool for teaching foundational Bible truths to children. I'd bet a lot of us can admit that there's a VBS song from 20 years ago still floating around in our heads. (But Outrigger Island is the best and you can't change my mind.)

VBS is also an amazing opportunity to reach families in your community who are impacted by disability. Sometimes going to church on a Sunday can feel daunting to these families. But VBS is different. It's much more casual, lots of fun, and designed specifically for kids.

So how can we be ready to serve families affected by disability when they show up at VBS?

Include questions about disability in your registration

Many churches require registration for their VBS so they can have the right number of volunteers, supplies, etc. Consider adding a few questions to your registration forms that cover disability.

This could be as simple as “Does your child have any special needs or disabilities?” with room for elaboration. Be sure to follow up with families who mark yes on this portion of the form to gather more information.

Train your people

Part of being ready for friends with disabilities is training your staff and volunteers. Take a look at these resources for some guidance!

Why You Need to Include Kids with Disabilities in VBS and How to Do It

We love these training videos from Sandra Peoples!

Supplement your curriculum

Awe & Wonder has THREE curriculum supplements available for VBS this year:

LifeWay's Illumination Station
Answers in Genesis's Emerald Crossing
Group's Rainforest Falls

Each supplemental package is available for download in our online shop for $29.99!

The curriculum supplements include:

Key Bible Verse for the week (Symbol-supported and plain text versions)
5 Adapted Bible Story Books- one for each day of VBS
Repeated Reader related to the theme, helping students apply the Bible stories to their lives
Moveable Interactive Cards to supplement the adapted books
Printable Repeated Storylines for each adapted book
VBS Visual Schedule
Bible Story Communication Board
A sample lesson of Awe & Wonder’s Adapted Bible Curriculum related to the theme with differentiated Bible story, activity lesson guide, visual craft guide, and more!

You'll also receive an Accessibility Guide for VBS that will walk you through some tips and tricks for making your VBS inclusive and welcoming for students with disabilities.

While we were at Disability and the Church, we heard about this incredible (and FREE) resource from Berlin First Baptist Church and the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware. It's basically a standalone VBS curriculum for participants with disabilities. Amazing!