SPECIAL NEEDS

If bars are more accessible than altars, if theaters are more welcoming than churches, if the producers of PBS are more sophisticated about communication access than our liturgists, if the managers of department stores know better how to appeal to those with disabilities than our church leadership, if the publishers of popular magazines are more knowledgeable about alternative formats than those who produce religious materials, then we have failed to meet Christ's challenge to us all.

(Reprinted with permission Mary Jane Owens, "The Wisdom of Human Vulnerability," The Disability Rag and Resources,

Vol.14, No.3 May-June 1993, pg.19)

Picture from http://www.religionanddisability.org/

Table of Contents

1. Building Needs
   1. Parking
   2. Sanctuary
   3. Celebration Room
   4. Classrooms
   5. Meeting Rooms
   6. General Needs
2. People First Language
3. Accessibility Audit
   

Building Needs:

Churches are not required to make their facilities accessible under the Public Accommodation section of the ADA.  Sadly, most choose not to.

Include directional signs (see People First Language section) with high contrast so people know where to go upon entering the church building.  Make sure greeters and ushers know where to direct people if asked.

Minimum requirements are covered by modern building codes.  These cover hallway and doorway widths, restrooms, handrails, etc.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can offer many suggestions beyond these basic requirements.  See the Accessibility Audit section for basic and extra accommodations.

Parking -

The lot must comply with regulations of ADA and Texas Accessibility Standards.  Those standards can be found at http://www.adaptiveaccess.com/handicap_parking.php.

Minimum Requirements:

One in every eight, but not less than one, parking space must be van accessible with a designated handicap sign and an access aisle 96" wide.

Standard Accessible (std.) parking space is 8 foot minimum + 5 foot access aisle.

 * One in every 8 accessible parking spaces must be a van accessible space with an 8 foot wide access aisle.

Sanctuary –

The sanctuary will require multiple places for wheelchairs.  They should be spread throughout the room so that there is no dedicated “wheelchair area”.  However, they should be concentrated at the front and on the center aisle so that people using them can still see when the congregation is standing.  Positioning wooden aisle standards along the center aisle will maintain symmetry of the center aisle for wedding processionals, but still allow everyone to see the bride enter whether they are standing or not.

ADAAG standards call for wheelchair spaces to be located where users have sight lines comparable to those of others.  They should be paired with at least one companion seat.  Wheelchair locations should be provided in the following proportions

An 800 seat sanctuary (our plan) would call for 9 wheelchair spaces.  The spaces should be 66” wide.

Carpet in the sanctuary should be a maximum of ½” pile to allow wheelchairs to move freely.

Seating space with extra leg room for people using crutches, walkers, braces, or casts should be incorporated.

ALL areas (lectern, microphones, altar, choir area, pulpit, and sacristy) should be accessible to people with mobility impairments as well as people with limited vision.  Raised areas should include ramps and/or lifts.  Slightly raised abrasive strips should be placed on top steps to warn people where the stairs begin.  Pedestal-style pulpits that more easily accommodate people of different heights (including those in wheelchairs) are available.

All support areas (A/V room, usher room, etc.) should also be accessible.  They should be large enough to allow wheelchairs to turn around.

Adequate lighting should be directed on the face of the speaker (pulpit, lectern, etc.) for those who read lips.  Braille material (as well as large-print Bibles, hymnals, and bulletins) should also be made available.  Sermons or entire services can be offered on tape.

Sign Language services or real-time captioning are available for hire.  This would require a teleprompter (shorthand keyboard and T.V. screen) in the Sanctuary.  Audio loops and other assistive listening devices (ALDS) should also be included.  It should be noted that special religious language training (currently available) should be required for anyone hired to sign a church service.  The phrase “died on the cross” means so much more than the literal interpretation.

Bookstands or lapboards should be made available for those who are unable to hold Bibles or hymnals.

Celebration Room –

This room should be set aside for those who cannot tolerate the environment in the main sanctuary.  Reasons for this are varied and might include sounds, smells, chemical sensitivities, sensory overload, or textile sensitivities.  It will also be available to people who have uncontrollable outbursts that they feel might embarrass them or cause others to be distracted from the service.

The room should allow people inside to view the proceedings in the sanctuary, but should be mostly soundproof and have its own sound system to allow the users to hear what is going on.  The volume should be adjustable from inside the room to give the users control over it.

Because many of the users of this room will have immune impairments, it is important that the room be as free of chemicals as possible.  If carpet is to be used, it should be 100% wool and certified that it has not been treated with chemicals.  Tile (marble, bamboo, etc.) or non-chemically treated wood is another alternative.  All paint used in this room should be VOC free.  A HEPA air filter that is sufficient for the size of the room should be used.  ALL furniture in this room must also be non-toxic.

Cleaning products used in this room should be non-toxic and not petroleum based.

Signs should be posted at the entrance stating no perfumes or heavily fragranced body products are allowed inside.  These cannot be tolerated by people with hyper-olfactory sensations.

Lighting should be provided by lamps instead of fluoresant bulbs.  The “buzz” from these lights can cause some people extreme discomfort.

As a comfort to people with textile sensitivities, tactile objects can be provided.  Weighted blankets give comfort to people with anxiety or sensory overload.

Classrooms –

One self-contained classroom should be included for children with severe and/or multiple disabilities that have a difficult time being mainstreamed.  As with the Celebration Room, this classroom should be free of all toxins and VOCs.  This includes furniture and all cleaning products used in this room.  No perfume or heavily scented body care products should be allowed, lamps should be used for lighting, and an appropriately sized HEPA air filter should be employed.

As part of the above classroom, or as a separate area, there is a need for a therapy area.  It should include a therapy swing, balls, sensory toys, a padded floor, mats, trampoline, etc.  This area/room will be used for kids who need a place to get sensory input (spinning, jumping, etc.) that enables them to self-calm.  During times when it is not in use by the church, it could be made available to local therapists and parents as a place for them to do their therapy.

Another classroom for children who are too high-functioning for the self-contained class, but cannot be mainstreamed full-time should be made available and have the same restrictions as the Celebration Room and the self-contained classroom.

A felt or cork board should be made available to allow for an adjustable visual schedule for each day.  They also serve as a place to put pictures of needs that the children can point to if they require food, drink, bathroom, or family members.

Child-proof locks are a must for children prone to “escaping” or running.

There needs to be an area where older kids can be placed for diaper changes.  With the heavier kids, a hospital bed with side rails works best.

There should be a paging system in place for family members.

The classrooms must have enough room to allow the children to get out of their chairs and move around.  Non-toxic carpet squares can be helpful in showing the children where they are to sit.  Children in wheelchairs should have room to get out of their wheelchairs and move around without obstacles.  Mats and helmets offer them freedom of movement.

The rooms should be located well away from the nursery.  The crying babies are a great distraction and can even be frightening for some children with sensitivities.  The classroom should also be away from other noisy areas like the kitchen, choir practice areas, and other children’s classrooms.  Blinds on the windows allow even more control over distractions.

The classes must have easy access to a bathroom (inside the locked area) that is ADA compliant.  Access to hot water is also essential for cleaning and latex-free (vinyl) gloves should be made available for drooling and assisted feeding.

A quiet area should be set up in each classroom to allow children to settle down if they are over-stimulated.  A play tent, headphones, weighted vests and blankets, bean bags, tactile items (cushballs, pipe cleaners, non-toxic clay), and a mini tramp are all good items to include in this area.

A playground that is accessible by disabled children should be in close proximity to the classroom.  It should be enclosed with a child-proof lock on the gate.

A check-in desk is a useful way to receive care instructions and updates from parents when they drop their children off.  The classroom has too much going on for this to be really effective.

Because children with some developmental disorders can be fearless and/or trusting, special care must be taken to prevent abuse.  The rooms should be away from the main entrance to the church to minimize contact with outsiders.

Meeting Rooms –

It is important that all meeting rooms be accessible by people with mobility impairments.  They should be able to move about the room and get in and out on their own.  We should not have to rearrange the furniture whenever a disabled person attends.  This will make them feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.

Tables with adjustable heights allow more convenience.

Round tables should be made available for large groups which require signing or lip-reading.  Offer interpreters for all events and meetings.

General Needs –

All signs and labels in the church should follow the people-first language guidelines outlines in a separate section of this document.

Offer interpreters for all events and not just church services.

The maximum pile for any carpet used in the building should be ½” to allow for easy rolling.

The playground should be accessible for disabled children.

A TDD should be located in the church office.  The church web site should work with the JAWS program which reads web sights audibly.  It should work comfortably without a mouse and not contain any color references such as “push the green button” or “all red fields are required”.  The site can be evaluated for background/foreground contrast using “Bobby” or “LIFT”.  The site should not be sound dependant.

Aisles and doorways should meet minimum width requirements.  Signs which stick out from the wall should be placed well above head height to prevent contact by sight limited people.

Adequate lighting in ALL areas is needed for sight limited people.

Stairs should have rubber treads for greater tractions and slightly raised abrasive strips should be placed on the top steps to warn people with limited sight where the stairs begin.

Doors should be opened electrically by the push of a button or have lever handles or push bars.  All doors should open with minimum effort.

People (especially the disabled) should be encouraged to make suggestions for improvement without being made to feel that they are complaining.

People First Language:

People with disabilities are individual people, not conditions or diseases.  So, put the person first and the disability second.  For example, use the term “children with disabilities” instead of “disabled children”.  A person is not an “epileptic” but rather a “person who has epilepsy”.  This should be the practice in all printed material.

Name classes something besides “special needs class” or “autism class”.

Never use out of date terms like “handicapped”, “crippled”, or “retarded”.  According to the Disability Etiquette Handbook published by the City of san Antonio Disability Access Office,

A disability is a condition caused by an accident, trauma, genetics, or                               disease which may limit a person’s mobility, hearing, vision,                             speech, or mental function. 

A handicap is a physical or attitudinal constraint that is imposed upon                              a person, regardless of whether that person has a disability.  Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines handicap as to put at a     disadvantage. 

For example, some people with disabilities use wheelchairs. 

Stairs, narrow doorways, and curbs are handicaps imposed upon people

with disabilities who use wheelchairs.

Accessibility Audit:

This audit is a compilation of the following:

1. Local Church Accessibility Survey published by the Center on Aging & Other Adult Ministries, a part of The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church
2. The Social Community Accessibility/Equal Access Annual Accessibility Audit of The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church
3. Accessibility Audit for Local Churches of the Health and Welfare Ministries Program Department of the General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church