Disability Etiquette (Part 2): Breaking Down Visible and Invisible Barriers

By Joni and Friends|Published On: February 7, 2019|Categories: For the Church, Podcast|

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Did you miss Part 1? Listen to Disability Etiquette: How to Build Genuine Friendships

Walking a mile in someone’s shoes is a great way to understand their personal struggles and perspectives. While Tracey Motoda and Scott Bankhead don’t put that much wear on their actual shoes (they are both wheelchair users), we can certainly gain a lot of perspective from their own personal experiences of living and working in a wheelchair.In part 2 of their conversation with Crystal, Tracey and Scott reflect on some of the challenges they have faced because of their physical disabilities. And it’s not just battling staircases, they share ways to break down the visible and invisible barriers that may be keeping anyone from fully experiencing friendship with people impacted by disability.

Our valued coworker and beloved friend Scott Bankhead went to be with Jesus in 2025 after a valiant battle with cancer. During his eight years working with us at Joni and Friends, Scott spent his days ministering to people struggling with disability, illness, mental health issues, and grief. In addition to providing biblical encouragement through phone conversations, Scott wrote over 12,000 individual messages to people searching for hope—pointing each one toward a relationship with Jesus.