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
