I am a mother with a physical disability, and I have a son who is also physically disabled. Every time we go to a restaurant or a supermarket or any other place, we have to be carried up and down the stairs. This attracts a lot of attention. It is really

1
Access

• I am a mother with a physical disability, and I
  have a son who is also physically disabled. Every
  time we go to a restaurant or a supermarket or
  any other place, we have to be carried up and
  down the stairs. This attracts a lot of
  attention. It is really degrading and makes us
  feel less human.
• A Health Handbook for Women
• with Disabilities

2
Getting in the Door

• Some congregations delay making necessary
  restroom changes, thinking them less important
  than other building projects. But, in the
  language of many people with disabilities
• If we cant go, we wont come!
• That All May Worship

3
The Americans with Disabilities Act

• Public Law No. 101-366
• Signed into law on July 26, 1990
• Modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• The ADA defines disability as
• A physical or mental impairment that
  substantially limits one or more of the major
  life activities of an individual such as walking,
  speaking, and breathing
• Having record of such an impairment
• Being regarded as having such an impairment

4
Titles of the ADA

• Title I Employment
• Title II Public Services
• State and Local Governments
• Public Transportation
• Title III Public Accommodations
• Title III does not apply to religious
  organizations or entities controlled by religious
  organizations, including places of worship
• Title IV Telecommunications
• Title V Miscellaneous Provisions

5
Key Phrases

• Reasonable Accommodation The principle by which
  employment and public accommodations are made
  accessible to qualified disabled peopleunless it
  can be demonstrated that a particular adjustment
  or alteration would be unreasonable or impose an
  undue hardship.
• Undue Hardship The point at which an
  employer/entity is no longer required to make
  accommodations in employment/service since the
  action involved would require significant
  difficulty or expense.

6
Audits and Assessments

• Assessing Accessibility

7
Assessing Accessibility

• Americans with Disability Act Accessibility
  Guidelines (ADAAG)
• UMC Accessibility Mini-Audit
• Available on the UMCOR Health website
• Local Church Accessibility Survey
• Available on the GBOD website
• Community Health and Environment Checklist
• CHEC and CHEC-HOW

8
Change Takes Time

• A Success Story

9
How Much Is It Going to Cost?

• Disability as a line item in the budget

10
Tzedekah, Tzedek, and Tikkun Olam

• Tzedekah charity
• Tzedek justice or righteousness
• Tikkun Olam fixing of the world
• Accessibility is cause, not for a fundraiser, but
  for political protest. The needs of individuals
  with disabilities should be indicated as a line
  item on the annual budget. We must be integrated
  in black ink.

Finkler, 2004
11
More Than Ramps and Elevators

• Simple and cost-effective changes
• YOU can make

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Simple changes

• Set aside parking spaces in your parking lot or
  in front of your church for people with
  disabilities. Mark these spaces with an
  Accessible Parking sign.
• If there are steps into your chancel or
  sanctuary, consider having a communion station on
  the floor in front of the steps.
• Develop a section of disability resources in your
  church library.

13
Simple Changes

• Encourage everyone to minimize perfumes and
  aftershave.
• Cut the ends of several pews so that wheelchair
  users can sit with their friends and families
  rather than being segregated in the back or front
  of the worship space.
• Survey your cleaning supplies being mindful of
  those with chemical sensitivities.

14
Simple Changes

• Explore ways of working with other religious
  communities on projects related to disability
  access and ministry.
• Visit accessible congregations (of any religion
  or denomination) in your area, noting especially
  the non-architectural ways these congregations
  demonstrate their accessibility and inclusion.
• Encourage parishioners to designate memorial
  gifts for accessibility projects.

15
Simple Changes

• Hold all community activities in areas accessible
  to everyone.  
• Plan an adult education segment to discuss the
  social barriers to inclusion.
• Apply brightly colored, textured strips at the
  top of all stairs. These strips alert people with
  limited vision that they are approaching stairs.