Transcript Disability - General Board of Church & Society

DISABILITY
PRACTICING INCLUSION
DisAbility Ministries Committee
of the United Methodist Church
Sharon McCart, Chair
M.Div.
Former Special Education Teacher
Barriers to Inclusion
• What keeps people with disabilities
from being included in church?
• What prevents them from
participating fully?
Types of Barriers
• Architecture
• Communication
• Awareness
• Attitude
• Others?
Architectural Barriers
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Stairs
Rough pathways
Narrow doors
Obstacles
No seating choices
What else?
Communication Barriers
• Print too small
• No hearing assistance
• No sign language or captioning
• Unknown/unclear expectations
• Others?
Lack of Awareness
• Don’t know anything needs to
be changed
• Don’t know what to change
or how
• Never learned anything about
disabilities
• Other?
Attitude
• Everyone should be like us
• Lack of compassion/empathy
• Don’t want to change
• Unfriendly/unwelcoming
• Other?
Other Barriers?
What other barriers can you think of?
Removing Barriers
• How can we break down the barriers
and practice inclusion in our
congregations?
Architecture
• Ramps
• Wider doors
• Grab bars
• Signage
• Pew cuts
More Architecture
• Lifts, elevators
• Accessible restrooms
• Railings
• Automatic doors
Communication
• Large-print bulletins
• Assistive Listening Systems
• Accessible website
• Live captioning
• ASL interpreter
Awareness
Disability Awareness/Access Sundays
Awareness
Training for Sunday School teachers
and other leaders
Awareness
•Disability Study/ Bible Study
•Disability Ministries Team
•Guest speakers with disabilities
•Training for church leaders
•Identify everyone’s spiritual gifts
Attitude
Address different learning styles
Attitude:
Change Worship!
• Intergenerational and hands-on!
•No “Shush” or “Sit still!”
•Fellowship, crafts, worship, supper
•More lively and interactive
•Don’t dumb down, but use easy-tounderstand language with visual aids and
engaging stories
Attitude
•Fragrance-free Zone
•No-Shush Policy
•Accessibility Welcome Kiosk
Accessibility Welcome Kiosk
A one-stop place to find:
•Large-print bulletins and
copies of the sermon
•Large-print hymnals
•Hearing assistance devices
•Print version of all
Powerpoint slides
Assistance
•Companion/buddy/mentor
•Additional assistants in classes
Assistive Listening Systems (ALS)
•FM and Infrared systems
•Inductive loop systems
•All speakers use a
microphone
•Committee Microphone
System
For those who are Deaf
•Live-Captioned worship
•Videos need to be captioned
or in print
•ASL interpreters
•Printed copies of the sermon
and other spoken word
For those who are Blind
• Describe all videos and pictures
• Braille hymnals and bulletins
• Service animal policies
• Assistance when needed
• No obstacles in aisles, hallways
Outreach Programs
• Camp
• Employment
• Housing
• Working with
people with disabilities
Commitment
What barriers will you
try to remove?
1.
2.
Resources
• www.umdisability.org
• Newsletter—The Voice
• Accessibility Audit
• New World Outlook, May/June issue
• Response, May issue