FAQ: I have a physical disability. Can I be a Mason?
Larry the Mason from Holbrook
Version 1.0
August 2006
This Frequently Asked Question comes from the weekly USENET MASONRY FAQ, posted to alt.freemasonry every Friday at 08:00 Pacific. Please refer to the weekly FAQ for other resource and contact information.
42
I have a physical disability. Can I be a Mason?
The answer is almost certainly yes, provided you can attend Lodge (and
meet the non-physical criteria in question (1) of this section).
Paraplegics have been made Masons, as have the blind, the deaf, and
others with a variety of physical handicaps. Minor modifications may
need to be done to the rituals (e.g., employing sign language,
modifying points where the candidate stands if the candidate is in a
wheelchair, etc.) but most Lodges are willing to accommodate
candidates.
In medieval times, the requirement to have a sound body free of
physical defect was a serious one, since the work of stonemasonry was
physically difficult. Some Grand Lodges did carry this requirement
into symbolic (non-operative) Masonry. However, in recent times this
has all but been eliminated. Talk to your local Lodge if you have any
questions.