The Passing of a Hero

The passing of Nelson Mandela this week reverberated throughout the world.  Rarely has a human being received such universal acclaim and appreciation for his presence on earth.  Mandela represented the highest ideals of compassion, forgiveness, truth, honesty and love.  

So it is not surprising that he also spoke eloquently of the needs and rights of people with disabilities in our society.  Here is what he said,

"It is not a question of patronizing philanthropy towards disabled people. They do not need the patronage of the non-disabled. It is not for them to adapt to the dominant and dominating world of the so-called non-disabled. It is for us to adapt our understanding of a common humanity; to learn of the richness of how human life is diverse; to recognize the presence of disability in our human midst as an enrichment of our diversity." 

We mourn the passing of this great man.  The world is poorer today because he is not in it.

Mark Bernstein

Growth Consultant, Central East Regional Group and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

Celebrating the Truth

The Today Show ran a short piece recently on Jimmy Jenson, a 48 year old man with Down syndrome.  He ran the New York City Marathon on Sunday and became the first person with Down syndrome to complete this landmark race.  You can see the video by following this link:

http://www.today.com/health/first-runner-down-syndrome-finishes-nyc-marathon-8C11518983

This is no doubt a great achievement, but I wonder....Do we lift up these kinds of stories because we don't expect people with disabilities to succeed in ways like this? Are we celebrating Jimmy's greatness or our own willingness to admit that people are people and that “disability” is an imaginary barrier?

It seems that whenever a person with a disability accomplishes something or otherwise makes a difference in the world, we consider them to be extraordinary.   Not just because what they did was extraordinary but because they did it WITH A DISABILITY.  I came across a website recently that touted the “Top 10 Extraordinary People with Disabilities.”  They included people like Van Gogh, Beethoven, Christy Brown, John Nash, Stephen Hawking, and Helen Keller.  It wasn’t enough that these people created breathtaking music or inspiring artwork or intellectual breakthroughs in science and mathematics.  It’s that they did it WITH A DISABILITY, as if the achievement would be less significant if they hadn’t had a disability.

So maybe, it is important that we lift up stories like the one involving Jimmy Jenson…because no one had ever heard of Jimmy Jenson before.  It’s people like Jimmy who live in anonymity while they fight for their rights; struggle to be accepted in their communities; and persevere in the face of prejudice and doubt.  That is what makes them extraordinary, not the accomplishments they achieve.

Lucy Daniel is the Policy Officer at CBM Australia, an international development agency that works with people with disabilities in the world's poorest countries.  She once wrote, “I no longer focus solely on the problems faced by people with disabilities over the people themselves, because I can now see these problems in the context of everything that people with disabilities have and can achieve…I see a chance to celebrate the truth that each and every person living with disability has the potential to contribute hugely to their family and community.”

So, way to go, Jimmy…and keep on running.

With respect,

Mark Bernstein

Consultant, Central East Regional Group and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

The Disability/Ability Action Program is under way and so Unitarian Universalism begins a new chapter in its commitment to inclusion of people who historically have been on the margins of society.  A collaboration of Equual Access and the UUA, this groundbreaking program challenges congregations to welcome, embrace, support and integrate people with disabilities and their families into congregational life. 

Congregations seeking certification will conduct an assessment of accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities, create an action plan of worship, workshops and projects, have that plan approved by the Disability/Ability Certification Committee and then implement the plan. When the plan has been fully implemented, the congregation can vote to be recognized as a congregation with a Disability/Ability Action Program certificate.  The program is designed to meet the needs of the entire congregation and includes workshops and activities for children and youth as well as adults.

Ten congregations are currently participating in the two year pilot project:

First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, MI
First Parish in Bedford, MA
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Buffalo, NY
First Parish Cambridge, MA
First Parish Kingston, MA
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruses, NM
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry, IL
The Congregational Society, Unitarian Universalist Peterborough, NH 
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, NC
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Rochester, MN

The plan is for the project to be offered to congregations around the country in 2015 to coincide with the 25^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Beautiful friendship, indeed.

For more information about the Disability/Ability Action Program, contact me at mbernstein@uua.org or Reverend Barbara Meyers at bfkmeyers@prodigy.net.

With respect,

Mark Bernstein

Consultant, Central East Regional Group and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

The (Star)Bucks Stops Here

In early March of this year, a group of deaf people were holding their monthly meeting at a Starbucks in lower Manhattan.  Part of a national effort called Deaf Chat Coffee, they were gathered together to socialize over coffee and pastries purchased at the coffee outlet.  Suddenly, their meeting was interrupted by police officers who had been summoned to the store by Starbucks workers.  The workers claimed that the group was creating a disturbance, conducting a meeting without a permit, and were not purchasing items from the store.  None of these allegations were true and the police officers apologized to the group, finding no illegal conduct.  In addition to harassing the group by calling the police, one Starbucks employee allegedly laughed hysterically at the speech of one member of the group and other deaf customers claimed that they were refused service.  In one case, a Starbucks employee who knew some sign language tried to assist the deaf customers and was reprimanded by another employee.

When a complaint was filed with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and other upper management staff, an executive apologized and tried to assuage the group by offering them a preloaded Starbucks gift card.    That wasn’t enough for these customers and they promptly filed a lawsuit, now pending in Federal Court.  (To their credit, Starbucks subsequently published a post on their website decrying discrimination in any form and outlining the ways in which they intentionally support Deaf partners and customers.)  http://www.starbucks.com/blog/starbucks-on-inclusion-of-deaf-community/1262

For those Unitarian Universalists who don’t think that matters related to inclusion of people with disabilities is a social justice issue, think again.  If this action had been perpetrated against a group of LGBT persons or persons of color, the uproar would have been deafening (no pun intended).  But because it happens to a group of people whose rights are not nearly trumpeted as much as those of other marginalized groups, it gets a 10 second spot on the local news right before sports and weather.

There are a group of UU congregations who are planning a joint worship event in the fall.  The idea was raised to hire a sign language interpreter for attendees who are deaf.  I was told that there was resistance to the idea since some members of the planning committee felt that it wasn’t necessary.  Thanks to the persistence of one member of the committee, the idea was adopted and the interpreter was hired.

We have a long way to go in recognizing and acknowledging the rights of people with disabilities, both in the outside world and within our Unitarian Universalist communities.  Let’s start talking about it in our congregations.  I’ll be happy to discuss it with you anytime, perhaps over a cup of coffee?

  

With respect,

Mark Bernstein, CERG  Consultant and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

Getting There

As it pertains to issues around disability and accessibility, General Assembly 2013 in Louisville went, from my perspective, pretty well.  The workshop on creating inclusive worship services with Suzanne Fast, Sarah Dan Jones and Amy Carol Webb was well conducted and very well attended.  The Equual Access booth was busy with many ribbons, business cards and literature being handed out, many questions being answered, and many new relationships being formed.  The convention center was, as far as I knew, physically accessible. And the language during group worship and plenary sessions was generally appropriate and respectful.

So, all in all, I think it went okay.  However, there were a few times during the week when people were not as sensitive as they should have been.  We still have a long way to go in raising the consciousness of people around hurtful words and phrases and the suggestion of concepts that demean an entire group of individuals.

The most grievous example of this came during the Sunday Morning Worship and the sermon delivered by the Rev. Dr. William Schulz, President and CEO of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and former President of the Unitarian Universalist Association.  In his opening remarks, Rev. Schulz said, “I have been preaching to Unitarian Universalists now for more than forty-four years. One of the definitions of mental illness is doing the same thing over and over again without appreciable effect. Thank you, Peter, for giving me one more opportunity to prove my sanity.”  This was followed by uproarious laughter in the hall, including the dignitaries on the stage behind him.

First of all, Rev. Schulz, that is not one of the definitions of mental illness.  Secondly, it is not true that all people with mental illness do the same thing over and over again without appreciable effect.  Thirdly, I know many people who do not have a diagnosis of mental illness who do the same thing over and over again without appreciable effect.  Witness my New York Mets.

But the worst thing about these remarks was the effort to squeeze some laughs out of a blatantly stereotypical and negative profile of a particular class of persons.  Imagine what would have happened if, for example, Rev. Schulz had begun his sermon with, “One of the definitions of a lesbian is…”; or  “One of the definitions of an Hispanic is …”  At the least, it would have been met with stunned silence.  At most, it would have resulted in cries of protest and people leaving Plenary Hall.

Yeah, we still have a ways to go.  But I’m hopeful.  I truly believe that while words may sometimes divide us and preconceived ideas, judgments and assumptions may sometimes hurt us, if we pay attention to these things; if we give voice to it and speak out against it; if we strive to understand others with compassion and empathy, we will prevail.  And General Assembly will truly become the beloved community.

As the author Jose N. Harris said, “I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.”

With respect,

 Mark Bernstein, CERG  Consultant and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jack...

Ah, Spring. When a young man’s fancy turns to…BASEBALL (of course). Is there any better time to renew our love of things that are simple and timeless and perfect in their execution? Spring and summer afternoons spent in front of the TV or by the radio taking in the glorious sights and sounds of this magnificent game, or, better still, being out at the old ballpark to see your favorite team up close and personal.

Talk about your experience of the holy.

Of course, for people with disabilities, going to see a baseball game can be as arduous a task as the Mets bullpen holding onto a lead. So I decided to do some searching on the web to see what major league baseball is doing to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. Some of the newer ballparks are doing a more than credible job of accommodating people. Some of the older parks barely address the issue. But the one team that I found to have the most information about services to people with disabilities and the greatest emphasis on accommodating people with disabilities was (are you sitting down?) THOSE HATED NEW YORK YANKEES!!!!

That’s right, those Bronx Bombers of Bubble Bursting; those perennial pinstriped purveyors of (nearly) perfect seasons. Those…well, you get the idea! Say what you will about this franchise of evil, but you can’t say they’re inconsiderate of people with disabilities. Consider these amenities:

· Wheelchair accessible and designated aisle seats including premium seat locations

· Printed materials available in large print and braille

· Assistive listening devices available at no charge

· Two open caption video boards and on televisions located throughout the stadium

· 16 public elevators with operators stationed in each one

· Induction loops installed at approximately 50 locations

· Accessible restrooms located on all levels

· Electrical outlets available throughout the park for recharging wheelchairs, scooters and other medical equipment.

And there are lots more. Now that’s impressive. You couldn't ask much more from an organization, other than to have a losing season.

Why not check out your favorite team’s commitment to accessibility? It’s one way to find out if they’re a winner.

With respect,

Mark Bernstein
CERG Growth Consultant and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

UU Congregations Needed to Field Test Certification Program

Rev. Barbara F. Meyers, Chair of Certification Program team

EqUUal Access is pleased to announce the creation of a certification program for Unitarian Universalist Congregations, with the working title of Disability / Ability Action Program. The program was developed in partnership with the Unitarian Universalist Association.

In 2011 EqUUal Access published Accessibility Guidelines for Unitarian Universalist Congregations. The Disability / Ability Action Program assists congregations in developing and implementing a plan for accessibility.

The certification program was developed as a joint program of the UUA and EqUUal Access to provide UU Congregations the opportunity to certify that they welcome, embrace, support, and integrate people with disabilities and their families into our congregations. Its sacred covenant with congregations is that they fully recognize the humanity and gifts of all people.

The program will have a two-year field test scheduled to begin in June 2013. EqUUal Access is actively seeking congregations that will take part in this field test. We will select congregations in different categories: small, large, old building, new building, renting, etc. The deadline for applying to be part of the program is April 30, 2013.

One Step At A Time

Accessibility Floor Mats Adorn the
Floor of UUFCC

On the home page of its website, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County (UUFCC), located in State College, PA, includes the following statement: We welcome participation in our services and activities by all persons without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, gender or sexual orientation.

And guess what? They mean it. When you walk into their beautiful sanctuary, one of the things that you notice are several spaces among the rows of chairs with blue mats placed on the floor. Printed on the mats is the wheelchair logo, the universal symbol of accessibility. The floor mats are attractive and blend seamlessly with the dark blue of the surrounding chairs. More importantly, they signal to the congregation and to those visiting that this is a place where all are welcome; that we have room here for all.

The Fellowship’s Minister, Rev. Mark Hayes, says, “Rather than shuffling chairs around, we wanted to be more intentional and more welcoming.”

Their intentionality extends also to those with hearing disabilities. The sanctuary has a two level looping system, which enables anyone with a hearing aid to listen clearly and free of other distracting noise in the environment without the use of a separate receiver and headset.

UUFCC is just one of many Unitarian Universalist congregations that are committed to greater comfort and inclusion of people with disabilities in worship and congregational life. The Unitarian Church of Barneveld, located in Central New York State, is a small congregation with a very big heart. In the spring of 2012, they dedicated their recently completed ramp access. The ramp, which provides access to the lower building’s social area, was built with donations from members and friends, UU related funding, and hours of volunteer labor. For the time being, access to the building will only allow individuals to hear the worship service, but the good people of Barneveld are not done. Phase two of the plan will be the installation of a lift from the ground floor to the sanctuary.

As journalist and social activist Dorothy Day wrote so eloquently, “People say, 'What is the sense of our small effort?' They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time." The people of Centre County and the people of Barneveld, one step at a time, are building monuments to our faith and to our commitment to be a religion for all.

Thanks to Ellen Asprooth, St. Lawrence District Reporter, for contributing to this blog.

Mark Bernstein
CERG Growth Consultant and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

Right Relations Task Force at GA

The Right Relations Committee of Equual Access encourages constructive ways of dealing with institutional and interpersonal difficulties, which arise if people with a disability are excluded from participation in their local congregation or district. Right Relations at General Assembly is different because of the number and diversity of the people attending. Each concern brought to the Right Relations Team is unique and a variety of approaches to resolving problems is required by the team members. This year the Co-Chairs of the Right Relations Team (RRT) are Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Tomoko Takano.

Whatever the response of the RRT at GA, all concerns shared with them are compiled into a report which is distributed to the Council on Cross Cultural Engagement and the GAPC after GA. One of the major goals of the RRT is to document every encounter the RRT has at GA in order to help future event planners learn from our collective experience.

Below is description of the role of the RRT and how to contact them if you need their assistance.

One of the resources available to all attendees throughout General Assembly is the Right Relationship Team. The Right Relationship Team exists to listen and engage with people who have experienced any form of oppression or identity based marginalization while at General Assembly. We know from experience at General Assemblies past that we are still learning how to avoid perpetuating the biases of the larger culture amongst ourselves. General Assembly is among the most diverse gatherings of Unitarian Universalists and in this setting we know we are going to make mistakes. People will make hurtful assumptions about other people based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, ability, age, gender, sexual orientation or other identities. When that happens, it our sincere hope that General Assembly attendees will take it as an opportunity for learning how to engage in ways that are not oppressive. Should you need assistance naming your experience, speaking with others involved or exploring how to make amends, we are here to help. We will make a daily report about our collective experience during plenary sessions. When we believe it may be helpful, we will respectfully and anonymously share stories of hurtful assumptions that have been made so that we might all learn together how to grow more fully into right relationship.


Members of the team will be wearing lime green Right Relationship Team t-shirts, ribbons and/or buttons throughout GA. The Right Relationship Team will be sharing an office with Youth Caucus Staff, which is located in room 228 A. We will be holding office hours there each day from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm. To reach a member of the team at any other time during GA, please feel free to stop one of us when you see us or call our number (617)9030-RRT or (617)903-0778.

Opening Your Heart

A couple of years ago, I attended a worship service at a wonderful church in Pennsylvania.  I arrived a few minutes late and found the congregation standing for the opening hymn.  I took my place in one of the pews and stood along with the rest of the congregation.  We proceeded to stand for the next several minutes while the minister made several pronouncements and we sang a second hymn.  I grew a little tired and began thinking about how good it would feel to finally sit.  I looked around the sanctuary and saw other members who I imagined were thinking the same thing.  I also reflected on those in the congregation who were physically unable to stand and how they must feel, having to sit all this time while everyone around them was on their feet.

This was one of many moments I have had in congregations across our region where I questioned our sense of hospitality toward those who have varying abilities…in mobility, functionality, and interrelatedness.

One of the keys to growth in our congregations and in our faith movement is our willingness to be more accessible and more inclusive of people with varying abilities.  According to the National Organization on Disability, people with disabilities are very likely to say their faith is important to them, but are more likely to not attend services due to accessibility issues. With the aging of the American population, they point out, the situation is becoming an increasingly significant factor in worship community vitality.

Part of the problem, certainly, is physical barriers.  Steps that people can’t climb; sound systems that people can’t hear; hymnals that people can’t read.  According to Ralph Adams Cram, architect and critic of American church design, places of worship... “were to be spiritual oases, set apart from their pedestrian environment through substantial, soaring walls and monumental stairs approaching impressive entrances well above the street. Unfortunately, our legacy is daunting stairs, heavy doors, and soaring walls. Much as our hearts may want to welcome everyone to enter our halls 'as a homecoming' the reality is that we are sometimes confronted with architectural designs that make hospitality a difficult undertaking, to say the least.“

While it may be cost prohibitive to make large structural changes, most accommodations require little or no outlay of money.  The biggest investment is not in money, but in the effort to find creative ways of enhancing the worship experience.  Make sure there are spaces in the sanctuary for wheelchairs; invest in assistive listening devices (they’re not as expensive as you may think); have several orders of service in large font available; ensure that you have enough accessible parking spots near the building; ask people during the worship service not to stand, but to “rise in body or in spirit” or introduce more “seated” hymns.

Here are some additional ideas for creating a more hospitable and inclusive environment:

·        Always use microphones (even if someone says they don’t need one)

·        Encourage speakers, worship associates, etc. to speak loudly and clearly

·        Raise the pulpit so that all can see

·        Make sure there is accessibility to the pulpit so that people with mobility limitations can speak or lead the service

·        Have a wheelchair or two donated and make it available

·        Wear name tags all the time for people with memory problems

·        Record services and make them available. Often a CD can be created instantaneously; or have them available on your website.

·        Hand out printed versions of the sermon.    

In his book, Year of Our Lord: Faith, Hope and Harmony in the Mississippi Delta, T.R. Pearson tells the story of Lucas McCarty, a young white man born with severe cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair but also gets around by walking on his knees with the help of knee pads worn over his blue jeans.  He shouts and makes vocal sounds, but for the most part communicates through an electronic language device.  Lucas became a member of the Trinity House of Prayer, a small, poor African American congregation.  He was embraced by the congregation and was in no way considered out of place or disruptive.  Lucas even joined the choir.  Pearson writes, “Without exception, Trinity’s members treated Lucas with unstudied compassion. At no financial cost to the congregation — no special programs, no architectural alterations— they demonstrated that making people with disabilities, even severe disabilities, feel a part of them is within reach of every house of worship. Sometimes it's not about building a ramp. Sometimes it really is about opening up your heart.” 

May it be so.

Mark Bernstein

CERG Growth Consultant and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

Blazing Trails

Samuel G. Howe

It will come as no surprise that many Unitarian Universalists have been instrumental throughout history in advancing the cause of people with varying abilities. Some of the names are better known: Dorothea Dix and Samuel G. Howe who, among other accomplishments, established the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston and was recognized as the country’s leading expert on the subject.  Others are lesser known, but no less important in raising consciousness, improving services, and gaining greater acceptance of people with disabilities in society.

While some of his techniques may have been suspect (he was a great proponent of bloodletting to cure ills, for example), Benjamin Rush was a pioneer in the study and treatment of mental illness.  Rebuffed when he protested the inhuman treatment of people with mental illness at Pennsylvania Hospital, he obtained state funding to create a ward for the “insane” at that facility and began a practice that revolutionized the way we think of people with mental illness.  In 1812, he wrote the book Medical Inquiries and Observations, Upon the Diseases of the Mind, which was a standard reference for seventy years and earned him the title of “the father of American psychiatry.”

Dr. Martha May Eliot was a leader in the development of health services for mothers and children.  While on staff at the Department of Pediatrics at Yale, Dr. Eliot helped to develop the Division of Child Hygiene and collaborated in the drafting of the first Maternity and Infancy Act which required states to extend and improve services for mothers and children and for “handicapped” children.  In her report to Congress in the mid-1950’s, Dr. Eliot identified children with mental retardation as a program priority.  Largely through her initiatives, by 1955, services for people with mental retardation were a priority within the federal government.  Since 1964, the American Public Health Association has awarded the Martha May Eliot Award to deserving individuals who have provided extraordinary health services to mothers and children.

T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. has a long and distinguished history in the field of primary care pediatrics and child psychiatry.  An author of more than 200 scientific papers and chapters, Dr. Brazelton has been influential in advocating the importance of early intervention to at-risk infants and their families.  Among other honors, he was appointed in 1989 to the National Commission on Children by the U.S. Congress, where he advocated for better services to disadvantaged children.  His Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale is used worldwide to assess the physical and neurological responses of newborns as well as their emotional well-being and individual differences.

These are just a few of the stories of Unitarian Universalists living out our faith in word and in deed…and helping to make the world a better place for people of all abilities.

Justice and Equual Access by Carolyn Cartland, Vice President Equual Access

The theme for our January blog has been “Justice and Disability Rights.” As you may have read, we have several terrific contributions which reveal some of the ways we, people with disabilities, have not received justice and had our rights disrespected or withheld. When I first joined my congregation, I was denied equal access to the building because I could not open the front door independently. One extremely cold (ten degrees) January night I was stuck outside for what seemed like hours (it wasn’t, but boy was it cold!). Once I was in the building, amidst tears, rage, and chattering teeth, I communicated my needs to the women with whom I was attending a “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” course. The next day, when I called the minister to discuss it with him, he had already heard from one of the class participants. Soon after, the Building and Grounds committee authorized funds for an automatic door opener. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. By advocating for physical access to the building, I was also advocating for the right of inclusion.

Equual Access was founded to promote the rights of Unitarian Universalists with disabilities, both within our congregations and within our larger community. Part of the strategy for having our rights recognized and acted upon is to tell our story, to communicate our issues and the discrimination which we face. This blog helps do that; so does talking and working within our congregations and the UUA. That’s what worked for me at my congregation.

To further our goal of increasing the inclusiveness of congregations and to add our voice to the larger social justice efforts undertaken by the UUA, the Board of EA will be working hard to expand our communications network. We will especially focus on communicating closely with the Multicultural Growth and Witness department; we will receive copies of their monthly reports so that we can learn what projects they are undertaking so that we can make sure our perspective is included. We will share our priorities and concerns with them as well. We will also be having periodic conversations with the head of the department, Taquiena Boston, and members of her staff so that we can increase each entity’s awareness of issues and concerns. Such specific and intentional conversations should aid in our joint efforts to respect the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, UU or not.

How Are Accessibility and Justice Connected?

Justice is an integral part of doing right. Of course, justice is more than defending others or setting things right. Justice includes the concept that things will be as fair as possible. One instruction on just behavior is as follows:

Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow.

It is important that as Unitarian Universalists, we examine the application of fair and justice practices to all levels and types of work that we do. An attentive examination of the treatment of disabled people, both in congregations and beyond, will show that there are many ways that people with disabilities can be oppressed, can need their cause to be taken up, or could benefit from having their case passionately pled.

Consider that in a traditional justice setting, on January 25, 2012, United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon and Southwest Washington filed a class action lawsuit against Governor Kitzhaber and top managers at the Department of Human Services. The lawsuit alleges that more than 2,300 Oregonians with mental or physical disabilities have been placed in sheltered employment situations in which they work for less than minimum wage and have almost no contact with non-disabled peers. A favorable outcome in this lawsuit could begin a revolution of fair wages and inclusive employment.

What does the pursuit of justice mean for congregational life? At least at my church, FirstUnitarian Church of Portland, we are fond of saying that the doctrine of the church is Love. I believe people expect that to be true. People assume that disabled congregants and visitors to the congregation will be treated fairly. It isn’t always apparent to the congregation when access is missing. But when one person comes to church, but they can’t hear the sermon well enough to understand it because there is no assistive listening equipment available, is that fair? When another comes to church but they do not feel welcome and valued because there are barriers to their entry or to their seating, is that fair? For most of these kinds of problems, individual attendees will not institute lawsuits meant to rectify problems and include the largest number of people possible.

The solution must lie with the church itself and with the congregation itself. The church must use the broadest means of inclusion possible, whether this means sign language interpretation or large print bulletins, or even remodeling to allow people with mobility issues access to all the parts of the building. There is one small congregation on the Oregon coast undertaking just such a project. In order for people using wheelchairs to gain access to the upper level of the church building, the church will need a lift. Even though the congregation is not a large one, they press on to finance the change by collecting cans and taking other steps toward the goal.

Accessibility matters because the central tenets of Unitarian Universalism include the ideas that divine Love is for everyone, and everyone is loved the way they are. This means now, not when it is convenient to include a door opener or when there is a surplus of money to install a needed chair lift. Right now, anyone may come. This means that for now, until the configuration of the building matches its purpose and possibility, we may have to be creative in broadcasting services to accessible parts of church campuses or resourceful in finding sign language interpreters for services or events. The alternative is offering God’s limitless love to those who have able or mostly able bodies; and that’s no alternative at all.

Theresa Soto is a member of First Unitarian Church of Portland, a member of EqUUal Access, a thinker, and a maker. On Twitter: @titasoto and blogs at http://inexplicablebeauty.tumblr.com/http://inexplicablebeauty.tumblr.com/

Segregated Schools by Linda Wright

When Simmons College in Boston asked for a detailed medical history to be submitted with my application to study for a masters degree in Library Science, I was suspicious. I had worked as a librarian for two years, and my letters of recommendation from my supervisor and the director of the library stated my work had been impeccable. I took the form to my hematologist.

“This is none of their business,” he said flatly and scribbled his signature under an illegible note at the bottom of the form.

My mistrust came from experience with every education application I had made from Kindergarten to college and now graduate school.

As a child, I was luckier than several of my friends. It was the mid-1950’s and there was no legal requirement to educate any child with a disability. Carol, who had cerebral palsy, was not allowed to go to public school. Neither was Barbara, who had been born with Down’s syndrome. Rose had to go to a special boarding school for children who were blind. I had been born with a bleeding disorder.

The Principal of the local elementary school did not want to enroll me, explaining to my mother that it was not a safe place for me. Anticipating this response, my mother presented a doctor’s letter certifying that, despite my bleeding disorder, there was no medical reason to exclude me.

The letter from my doctor did not reassure the Principal, and she admitted me on the condition that, during recess each day, I sit on the bench just outside her office door with the naughty children. It was unreasonable and unnecessary. My sentence on the bench lasted seven years. It was enforced when the other children went outside to play and even when they were indoors during recess.

I began filling out application forms to colleges in my junior year. Each rejection letter explained that their campus was not accessible. In the library I found a directory, which listed Boston University as having accessible classrooms and dormitory facilities. I applied and received a letter of acceptance in an envelope bulging with forms and instructions.

Enclosed in the envelope was a note asking me to schedule a meeting with the housing office. By then, I had been fitted with a leg brace. The metal supports squeaked against my leather shoes when I sat down in front of the placement officer.

The woman’s eyes did not meet mine. She stared at the orthopedic shoes I was wearing and the aluminum brace. Not long into our conversation, she released a heavy sigh and said, "Well, you can come to this school, but I doubt anyone will want to be your roommate."

My self-esteem was as bruised as my skin, but I was not broken. So I shrugged and thought to myself, “That’s your problem, isn’t it?”

Boston University had accepted me only because they did not know I had a disability.

Thanks to my doctors terse note on the medical form, I was also accepted to Simmons College. While I was a student, I volunteered to be the student representative on the team that reviewed the admissions policies. The College was preparing for re-accreditation by the American Library Association.

“Why are there no people of color enrolled in the School of Library Science?” I asked.

“We don’t discriminate, based on race,” she said, “It’s just that we don’t accept anyone who went to a state college, and well, you know, that rules out a lot of people. Besides, black people don’t want to be librarians, they are looking for better paying jobs.”

“There are several students from China in my classes, but no one from a Spanish speaking country,” I said.

“Well,” she responded, sounding as if her patience was strained, “Chinese people are more literate and their culture values education.”

I flinched and checked off the box on my survey form that said ‘yes’ beside the Admission Policy Discriminates on the basis of race.

“Why do you require a medical history form?”

The admissions officer glanced at me and responded, “Well, we don’t want people to associate librarians with cripples, do we?”