Disability access
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Special to United Methodist Insight
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and that means that Advent will be here before we know it! During the holidays, many churches will be welcoming a large number of guests, especially on Christmas Eve. As you welcome your guests this holiday season, please consider using the following ideas in your own worship setting in order to make worship accessible for everyone.
1. Basic hospitality goes a long way.
Please do not stare, whisper, or make assumptions about people with disabilities. This may seem like a simple and straightforward notion, but you would be surprised how people sometimes react when they encounter a person with a disability. I encourage you to take some time to talk to your congregation about what it means to be a church that models radical hospitality. Train your greeters, ushers, and members of your hospitality team by teaching them never to pet a service dog or touch a person without asking. Do not pet a service dog because they’re working, grab a blind person, or touch someone’s wheelchair. Guide dogs are not pets and wheelchairs are not toys.
Teach your greeters not to shout when speaking to a person who is d/Deaf. Shouting distorts your face and makes it hard for the person to read your lips. When speaking to someone who is d/Deaf or hard of hearing, look directly at them. Do not assume people are unable to communicate. If a person with a disability is with an able-bodied person, do not speak to that able-bodied person instead of the person with a disability. Do not speak to an ASL interpreter instead of the person who is d/Deaf.
2. Please don’t give parents the stink eye if their children are acting out.
If you see children who are being loud or acting out, please understand that there is a possibility that they might have autism or other special needs. It can be very challenging for parents of children with special needs to bring their children to church. I have heard parents say they feel as if they are “causing a disturbance.” Assure parents that they are welcome. A supportive church family can make the world of difference in the life of any child, but I believe it is especially important for children with special needs.
When considering families with disabilities, it is important to remember people with disabilities can be wonderful parents. A truly inclusive church is one in which people and families with disabilities can find love, support, and acceptance. The church should be a safe place for all families, not one more place where people with disabilities face more unfounded judgements.
3. Consider hiring an ASL interpreter, installing a hearing loop, or using some form of technology to provide captions.
A hearing loop is an assistive technology system that discreetly sends sound to the telecoil receiver in a person’s hearing device. Rev. Dyer is a passionate advocate for hearing loops. She writes, “We literally are not aware of the problems of those with hearing loss, unlike our awareness of physical access issues (Dyer, 2013).” Furthermore, she states, “The people making decisions about accessible listening systems tend to be ‘hearing,’ rather than those who can directly benefit (ibid).”
It is important to note that (as of the time of this writing) there are grants available for churches who want to extend outreach to the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community. According to their website, “DHM provides opportunities for empowering Deaf, late-deafened, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind people through grants for projects and scholarships.” For further information, visit their website at UMDeaf.org or contact them at UMDeaf@gmail.com.
4. Make digital and large print copies of materials available.
Make sure that there are always at least three large print hymnals and three large print copies of the order of worship available. If there is only one large print hymnal, people will not take it because they are afraid of taking from someone who might "need it more." If you use a slideshow, consider making the slides available online or e-mailing them to members of your congregation with low vision before the worship service. E-mail members of your congregation with low vision a copy of the bulletin. Have large print hymnals and bulletins available.
Large print materials can also be helpful for people who are dyslexic. Make certain to use a font size that is at least fourteen points. Arial or any other font that is sans serif, such as Calibri or Tahoma, are fonts that are considered "easy to read" for people who have low vision or who are dyslexic. These fonts have wider spacing and the letters are less stylized than in Times New Roman.
Consider purchasing a braille Bible for your church. Although, please know that nowadays most people who read braille do so with a braille display. This means they probably have their own Bible already accessible on their piece of technology.
Technology is the way of the future, but not everyone can see a screen. If you use visual aids to illustrate your sermon, describe them to the congregation.
5. Make Holy Communion more accessible.
Have a gluten free option available for communion in order to make the sacrament more accessible. It is also important to take communion to people who cannot be physically present for worship. .
If you are the one presiding at the table, consider giving clear verbal instructions for how people are invited to participate in Holy Communion. Not everyone can see your hand gestures or the ushers. Make sure to give concrete directions that are easy to understand. For example, I frequently give the following instructions on Sunday mornings, “Today we will be receiving by intinction. This means that you will be offered a piece of the Host and then you will have the opportunity to dip the Host into the cup. After you have received, you may kneel at the communion rail and say a prayer or return to your seat and pray silently.”
In conclusion, I hope that these ideas will help to inspire you to think of ways your church can be more inclusive to people with disabilities. If you ever want to be helpful to a person with a disability but are unsure how to do so, simply ask that person. For example, when I am lost in a strange place, such as a church where I have never been, I am always thankful when someone shows me to the sanctuary and helps me find a seat. However, some people prefer to do things independently. Every person is unique. People with disabilities are an important part of the body of Christ.
Sources:
Dyer, Mary. (26 November 2013). “Please Hear Those of Us Who Cannot.” Sojourners Magazine. Retrieved from: https://sojo.net/articles/please-hear-those-us-who-cant
The United Methodist Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries. (2019). “Captions.” Retrieved from: https://www.umdeaf.org/atech/caption.html
The United Methodist Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries. (2019) “Grants and Scholarships Retrieved from: https://www.umdeaf.org/fund.html
Rev. Rebecca L. Holland is an ordained elder in the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. She is a visually impaired writer and the chair of the Disability Ministry Task Force of the Susquehanna Conference. This essay and many others like it are available in her new book The United Methodist Church and Disability: Essays and Practical Tips for Clergy, Churches, and People with Disabilities.