Accepting Different Faiths: Insights from Religious Narratives of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in Poland

Abstract

There is a dearth of research on how people with intellectual disabilities perceive different faiths, both their own and other people’s. The aim of this study was to explore certain aspects of religious identification among adults with intellectual disabilities: their declared affiliation with a specific denomination, their perceptions and subjective knowledge constituting the image of a “good follower”, their self-assessment, and their attitudes toward representatives of other denominations. In 2023, interviews were conducted with 34 adults with intellectual disabilities in three Polish cities to achieve this aim. The study was of an inclusive character and involved co-researchers with intellectual disabilities who participated in designing the research, conducting the interviews and the analysis. We found that people with intellectual disabilities do not always know how to define their religious affiliation and have limited knowledge and experience in relationships with individuals of different faiths, and their attitudes toward such individuals are varied. Nonetheless, they engage in various forms of religious activity.