Rebecca Holland
Susquehanna Conference delegate Rebecca Holland asks questions during the 2022 session of the Northeastern Jurisdiction. (Northeastern Jurisdiction Photo by Deborah Coble).
When we talk about inclusiveness, people with disabilities are often overlooked. This is partly because many disabilities are invisible. I found this to be true (again) at the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference held Nov. 2-4 in College Park, Md.
I was originally an alternate to the NEJ conference. However, because other delegates were not able to attend, I was called on to serve as a regular delegate. While I was there, I had the opportunity to advocate for both clergy and laity with disabilities across the entire Northeastern Jurisdiction, which includes the annual conferences of Susquehanna (the conference to which I belong), Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Upper New York, New York, New England, Eastern Pennsylvania, Greater New Jersey, Peninsula Delaware, and Baltimore-Washington. I do not speak on behalf of the Susquehanna conference or our delegation. The thoughts and feelings I express in this article are my own.
When the opportunity presented itself, I spoke briefly from the floor and addressed the importance of accessibility (especially when using technology to meet virtually) and encouraged the planning committee to include an accessibility coordinator when planning future meetings of the NEJ. It was an honor to serve as a delegate at NEJ and I was grateful for the learning opportunity.
Interviewing Candidates from a Disability Perspective
Delegates to the Northeastern Jurisdiction had the opportunity to interview episcopal candidates on the day before the conference. We were divided into small groups and each of the nine episcopal candidates that had been endorsed by their annual conference and/or an official caucus of the UMC met with each group for approximately 40 minutes.
The day before the interviews were to take place each group was given three questions from the Committee on Episcopacy that we were all required to ask the episcopal candidates. Each group was also permitted to work together to create some unique questions of our own. We wrote these questions down in a list and submitted them for approval to the Committee on the Episcopacy.
I shared with my group that I am very passionate about disability ministries and that I would like to ask each episcopal candidate, “As bishop, how would you work to include and empower clergy and laity with disabilities?”
I was very grateful that my question was approved by both my fellow group members and the Committee on the Episcopacy. We asked this question to each of the nine episcopal candidates and were able to hear their responses.
It is my hope that in the future a question that relates to disabilities will be provided as one of the required questions. That way, every group who interviews episcopal candidates will have the opportunity to hear their responses.
ASL and Captioning at NEJ 2022
American Sign Language was provided throughout the entire gathering. The ASL interpreters did an excellent job, and I was happy to see them. Their presence was a clear signal to everyone present and everyone watching online that the NEJ is working toward being accessible and inclusive for all people.
However, open captions were not available until the second day of our gathering. These captions were helpful, but they included many typos and incorrect transcriptions because they were computer generated.
In the future, it would be helpful to have live captions throughout the entire conference. It would also be helpful if all documents were provided to delegates in an accessible format.
Accommodations for Blind and Visually Impaired Delegates
As a delegate with a visual impairment, I also had some difficulty voting because the electronic device was not accessible. The electronic voting device looked like a small TV remote control, but none of the buttons had tactile bumps on them. (For example, most telephones with keypads will at least have a raised dot on the five). I was able to make my device work most of the time, but in the future an accessible option would have been greatly appreciated. If I were completely blind, I would have been unable to vote using the handheld device.
Most of the documents, including resolutions and lengthy amendments made from the floor, were provided in an accessible digital format to all delegates. I applaud the NEJ for taking this inclusive step. This is very helpful to delegates with visual impairments because digital documents can be enlarged or read aloud by smart devices.
Yet, for all the strides we have made with accessibility, there is still room for growth. One very important document was not provided in a digital format: We were only given a print copy of the list of episcopal candidates and their corresponding numbers. Every episcopal candidate and any elder present at NEJ was assigned a number. We entered those numbers into our electronic devices to vote. I was able to enlarge this list using my iPad, but this would have been an especially helpful document to have in an accessible format.
It is my hope that in the future an accommodation would be provided for delegates who are unable to use the electronic voting device.
A Possible Solution: Include an Accessibility Coordinator During the Planning Stages
I know that addressing these challenges can be complex and possibly quite expensive. That is why I suggested from the floor of NEJ that an accessibility coordinator be included when planning the next gathering of NEJ.
The next gathering of the NEJ will be in Western Pennsylvania, and I know that they have a very active and talented Disability Ministries group. I am hopeful that with their help the next gathering of the NEJ in 2024 will be even more accessible. Accessibility is an important part of inclusiveness.
Rebecca L. Holland
The Rev. Rebecca L. Holland
Rev. Rebecca L. Holland is a visually impaired, Filipino-American author and pastor serving in Central Pennsylvania. She is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and the author of Through My Good Eye: A Memoir in Verse, The United Methodist Church and Disability, and Hope for the Broken: Using Writing to Find God’s Grace. She blogs about faith, books, and disability awareness. She can be reached by using the contact form on her author website.