tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.comments2017-03-05T13:32:25.820-05:00EqUUal AccessEqUUal Accesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12913872199403855097noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-22167352218775447412014-10-08T08:44:40.311-04:002014-10-08T08:44:40.311-04:00Elz,
Thanks for your comment. I agree that this a...Elz,<br />Thanks for your comment. I agree that this adds to the difficulty in providing meaningful and inclusive religious education. Something worth doing is never easy. Mark Bernsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18378973047799741760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-30917977013989910392014-07-25T22:21:32.659-04:002014-07-25T22:21:32.659-04:00This is all well and good, but given the constant ...This is all well and good, but given the constant struggle to find, train, and support teachers and classroom helpers, these extra folks can be hard to come by. Ironically, it might be harder in a mid-sized congregation, than in either a large one -- with an overflow of regular worshippers -- or a small one -- where everyone feels ocmfortable doing about six different things every Sunday.Elz Curtissnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-54057747940833855362014-07-25T14:28:30.653-04:002014-07-25T14:28:30.653-04:00Can I question the phrasing "how prevalent it...Can I question the phrasing "how prevalent it can be even among the most respected members of society"? I'm not sure what you're trying to get at, and to me the "even" calls up some potentially stigmatizing attitudes.Tegan Kehoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03562506824747105420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-14834507444402624752014-07-21T21:15:31.470-04:002014-07-21T21:15:31.470-04:00Well done.Well done.Elz Curtisshttp://www.politywonk.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-1973650700918572952014-04-25T07:58:31.750-04:002014-04-25T07:58:31.750-04:00Several people with hearing challenges have told m...Several people with hearing challenges have told me that Coffee Hour is THE WORST! Fast moving conversations half-projected over a din, with faces at all kinds of angle to each other, and in some places, no balancing eye contact and face reading to remind us that we're all so much more than the sound of a voice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-51338266546368825082014-04-24T07:55:35.443-04:002014-04-24T07:55:35.443-04:00Elz,
Or even just up a riser with no ramp? Or be...Elz,<br /><br />Or even just up a riser with no ramp? Or because the choir is expected to stand for every hymn?Mark Bernsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18378973047799741760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-85757620816544000132014-04-24T07:53:48.023-04:002014-04-24T07:53:48.023-04:00Eva,
Thank you for your story and your beautiful ...Eva,<br /><br />Thank you for your story and your beautiful tribute to your mother. There are many UU congregations that are working to make their buildings more accessible to people with mobility issues. We need to continue supporting those efforts while encouraging other congregations to take their first steps. Access for all needs to be our number one priority.<br />Mark Bernsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18378973047799741760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-47705323864362855792014-04-24T07:49:19.381-04:002014-04-24T07:49:19.381-04:00Thank you for this post. I so agree that attitude...Thank you for this post. I so agree that attitude is a major barrier. It takes more effort to be inclusive of everyone but isn't that what our faith is supposed to be about? Keep advocating, my friend, for innovative ways of ensuring that everyone can take full advantage of congregational life.Mark Bernsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18378973047799741760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-57014368787032773642014-04-23T19:23:31.141-04:002014-04-23T19:23:31.141-04:00In 2006 or 7, my Mother, June Roberts, a woman who...In 2006 or 7, my Mother, June Roberts, a woman who had committed her life to advocating for equal access to all aspects of society that people without disabilities have access to, in the last year of her life attempted to go to a Unitarian Universalist Service. I had driven by and I had seen the ramp outside. My mother got dressed up which was not easy because she could not breathe much at all and only with great difficulty, with oxygen all the time. My mother who had MS since she was 14, and so at this time could not walk either so she used a motorized chair. I had told her that I had seen a ramp going into the UU building in Jamesport NY. I remember Sister Margaret was the featured speaker. The sign outside said the theme was "Welcoming Strangers". I drove my mother to the service that Sunday in her van, as she was no longer able to drive her accessible van even though it had been equipped with a lift and hand controls. I remember she was dressed and looked sharp, white blouse and black slacks... But when we go to the building, I got out and went to investigate. Unfortunately, after the ramp, there were stairs into the building. It was so disappointing, to me, I felt so bad. and to my mother. This was so sad. Her birthday is tomorrow. She lived from 1936-2007. I know that it costs money to make building accessible, and I know many faith groups struggle with dwindling memberships and not enough funds. But if there is a way to make buildings more accessible to people with mobility impairments, please do, in honor of my mother. June E.(Frederick) Roberts. Do it for all the other people who can't get in to join with others of their faith. There are many other was people with physical and mental difficulties are not able to access faith groups of their choosing. Ramps are just one way to make it possible for some to have access. Best Regards, Eva June Roberts. Eva June Robertsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-45773641008103385892014-04-22T20:43:56.500-04:002014-04-22T20:43:56.500-04:00How many folks who are physically able to sing in ...How many folks who are physically able to sing in the congregational choir are prevented because it's up in the balcony?Elz Curtisshttp://www.politywonk.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-2796076206840938062014-04-22T16:09:05.466-04:002014-04-22T16:09:05.466-04:00Hi, Mark;
I agree that a lot of the technology bei...Hi, Mark;<br />I agree that a lot of the technology being used in the theater may be adapted to worship service. At a children't theater that my son is active in, they have real-time description and captioning that works with my iPad. Volunteers caption to an app that I can read on my iDevice.<br />Since smart phones are getting so ubiquitous, I really think they could be utilized in church service more (with maybe even a few "loaners" for people who don't have them.) Orders of service, pre-emailed sermons, hymn lyrics and real-time captioning (for things likes like joys and concerns, etc.) would just take a few seconds of advanced emailing and maybe a few volunteers who would be willing to transcribe. (It takes work, so you would want a team to do it, not just a single person). The technology is there, the biggest problem I have had as a deaf blind person quite frankly has been an unwillingness to give out information electronically. Ministers state that it is too hard to email sermons before hand because they are writing them up till the moment, or people get concerned about copywriting and "intellectual property" of their speeches, if one person gets an e Order of Service then everyone will want one (and that would be bad because...? We would save so much paper that is only used for one hour?) those kinds of issues. (Also, volunteer transcribers can be hard to come by, which is more of an understandable challenge.) We have offered to teach seniors in our church that have vision/hearing impairments and others how to use smart phones and tablets for free at our church in exchange for classroom space and a blurb in the newsletter, but the leadership showed no interest...so again, as with most disability issues, it is not the disability cannot be accommodated, it often can. It is attitudes that become the barrier.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13152840706932356457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-54136041828822880742014-01-05T21:59:06.412-05:002014-01-05T21:59:06.412-05:00Wonderful message, Rev. Marcia.Wonderful message, Rev. Marcia.Mark Bernsteinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-35322561547091364812013-11-05T12:24:10.359-05:002013-11-05T12:24:10.359-05:00Thank you for this post and the link to the Today ...Thank you for this post and the link to the Today show. As a person who is deaf I am happy to see that NBC/Today are in compliance with the new regulations that require captioning of programming that originates on television when it appears and is accessed via the Internet!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-86021053965976352332013-10-02T08:18:19.193-04:002013-10-02T08:18:19.193-04:00Oh, Anonymous, my heart goes out to you and your s...Oh, Anonymous, my heart goes out to you and your son! Since my family also has people who may have Asperger's, I would like to say a word as a former DRE. In a thriving post I held briefly, one class group was smaller than any other. I checked past registrations: they started with the same approximate number, but had many more drop-outs. I called them, and all cited what they called "disruptive" behaviors from a child who probably had Asperger's or was somewhere on that part of the spectrum. So I attempted to set up an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) -- which caused the mother to feel I was labeling her son as a trouble-maker, rather than allowing for his differences. It was a horrible impasse, and as a person who myself had been through the same kinds of learning disabilities, a bitter irony.<br /><br />What I call "Disabilities Under the Skin" are the nothing more than the different ways we learn, relate, and express. So long as we insist on warehouse-style RE -- by birth date, no less! -- we will remain a narrow religious community, starving ourselves of many gifts God has tried to give us, repeating the cycle of learning, relating, and expressing according to one or two particular neurological patterns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-48933137278329979242013-09-30T15:48:14.831-04:002013-09-30T15:48:14.831-04:00I wish you all the best; this is a big task. When ...I wish you all the best; this is a big task. When my son (who has Asperger's) was grade-school age, we finally had to give up on Sunday school. The teachers really couldn't handle him, and I felt bad that their efforts to do so were robbing the other children in the class of a rewarding church-school experience. To this day, I don't really know what we all could have done to make it work for both my son and the other kids. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-4914369855977398752013-08-01T09:26:57.571-04:002013-08-01T09:26:57.571-04:00This is great! And it's not all bad news: than...This is great! And it's not all bad news: thanks to several dedicated individuals and families over the past few decades, First UU Society in Burlington is a haven for several folks with disabilities, both visible and invisible. As the fiancee of one of them, I can tell you, it makes a huge difference in both our lives. And we're about to Ferry Beach, where she will be held as if in angels' hands.Elzhttp://www.politywonk.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-64713707368271853292013-06-29T09:09:03.925-04:002013-06-29T09:09:03.925-04:00Great post, Linda. It was an honor being there wi...Great post, Linda. It was an honor being there with you. I agree that there seemed to be a lot more interest in Equual Access and disability issues in general than in past GAs. I was also pleased that our workshop was well attended and achieved the goals that we had hoped for.Mark Bernsteinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-47553530389088509042013-03-16T11:48:06.089-04:002013-03-16T11:48:06.089-04:00This really is an historic event in the lives of t...This really is an historic event in the lives of the UUA and EqUUal Access.The decision to move the headquarters from 25 Beacon St indicates that the UUA recognizes the need for modern facilities to accommodate current and future growth, technology, and physical access, but what is most noteworthy to EqUUal Access is that the highest levels of the UUA reached out to EA for our input and expertise on accessibility requirements. They have been exceedingly inclusive and open and want us to be part of the ongoing building renovation process. This is a win-win for the UUA and EqUUal Access. I am proud to be part of a faith tradition which lives its social justice values so clearly. Carolyn CartlandCarolyn Cartlandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-36904932289134767622013-03-16T08:11:24.542-04:002013-03-16T08:11:24.542-04:00"They identified a list of needed accommodati..."They identified a list of needed accommodations, which Rob documented, distributing copies to Peter Morales, Harlan Limpert, Kay Montgomery, Tim Brennen, and Mark Bernstein. Near the end of the tour, Rob indicated that there would be ongoing consultation with EA."<br /><br />Hopefully the UUA will actually act on the recommendations rather than all but totally ignoring them as they have done with numerous recommendations for reform of the UUA's clergy misconduct policies and procedures. . . Funny how there is no ongoing consultation with UU clergy abuse victims. No UUs?Robin Edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06208142626285495635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-8659773204468730652012-09-17T09:44:19.443-04:002012-09-17T09:44:19.443-04:00The fallacy here is that people of truly good will...The fallacy here is that people of truly good will do not have to be asked, even with a "can." They just do it because it's the right thing to do.<br /><br />John Peltier<br />U.U.M.A.N<br />Roswell, GeorgiaJ. Caesarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16257738683380409658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-91611175037677319292012-05-15T18:24:06.362-04:002012-05-15T18:24:06.362-04:00Welcome on board: Two UUF congregations in the Fox...Welcome on board: Two UUF congregations in the Fox Valley are already "looped": In Ripon the Prairie Lakes Unitarian Universalist and in Appleton the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist. Hearing loops are the most beneficial universal hearing assist system available today. For more information visit www.hearingloop.org or www.loopwisconsin.com <br />Juliette Sterkens, AuD - Audiologist and Hearing Loop Advocatejsterkenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09658850283981964662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-64236205238084678922012-04-17T10:05:46.269-04:002012-04-17T10:05:46.269-04:00I would like to acknowledge two people that opened...I would like to acknowledge two people that opened my eyes wider with regards to the struggles of people with disabilities. Both were instructors at Meadville Lombard Theological School. Rev. Dr. Carol Hepokoski taught Ethics and had a book titled, "Living in a Waist High World". It was important to learn about the ethical , political, and moral issues of people with mobility issues. Helen Bishop taught me through a personal experience. She needed assistance with walking at night on the sidewalk. She managed independently but needed just an extra arm around in case she misjudged the evenness of the sidewalk. Of the chapel filled with ministers and seminarians I saw no one offering to assist her. She shared with me how she struggled arriving to class on snowy and icy sidewalks in front of the building. A book and a short walk opened my eyes to see a lot more in the world.<br /><br />Thank you Carol and Helen.<br /><br />And thanks to all the voices from EA and from access-l.<br /><br />The Rev. Rosemarie NewberryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-54036787615377030762012-03-15T19:52:02.381-04:002012-03-15T19:52:02.381-04:00I was disturbed at the tone of some of the comment...I was disturbed at the tone of some of the comments on the Standing on the Side of Love blog, but I think that "standing", as a metaphor, is not as exclusive as "he", for example. It is difficult to remove all our metaphors that might be interpreted as exclusive. For example, just in this short post, there are three instances implying that the reader is sighted - "You may have seen it", "To view the sermon", "How do we show our belief"LdeGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16377774003741723866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-13232187558742080762012-02-01T07:22:31.469-05:002012-02-01T07:22:31.469-05:00Yea! I am so glad we are giving voice to and shari...Yea! I am so glad we are giving voice to and sharing our stories, encouraging one another and our communities!Rev. Naomi kinghttp://cityofrefugeflc.omnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1463579427723903268.post-59747702507455860172012-02-01T07:21:52.542-05:002012-02-01T07:21:52.542-05:00Yea! I am so glad we are giving voice to and shari...Yea! I am so glad we are giving voice to and sharing our stories, encouraging one another and our communities!Rev. Naomi kinghttp://cityofrefugeflc.omnoreply@blogger.com