|

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be Accessible To All means that
our congregation has a deep and abiding commitment to honor the worth,
dignity, gifts, and ministry of ALL of God's children, including those
who have differing abilities and disabilities. It also means a
commitment in heart, mind, and reality to removing barriers so that all
persons may be included in the full life and leadership of the
congregation, just as Jesus would have us do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resources provided on this page are intended to help our congregation
in its discussion of issues of critical importance to our faith.
Article in the Wall Street Journal
OPINION: HOUSES OF WORSHIP
SEPTEMBER 3, 2009, 6:36 P.M. ET
To read this story online, please go to:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574305072612306120.html
Making God More Accessible
By MARK I. PINSKY
The television commercials were disturbing: Traditional-looking churches
barring or physically ejecting racial and ethnic minorities, gay
couples—and people with disabilities. One tag line was "Jesus didn't
turn people away. Neither do we." The national campaign, which aired
several years ago, was sponsored by the liberal United Church of Christ.
"We included people with physical disabilities in these commercials—in a
wheelchair or with a walker—as an extension of the call and hope that
churches would be intentionally inclusive of 'all the people,'" said the
Rev. Gregg Brekke, a spokesman for the denomination.
Instead, the imagery provoked grumbling from some denominations because
of its implied critique of other church traditions. But at least when it
came to the physically handicapped, the criticism had more than a grain
of truth. Churches, synagogues, mosques and temples are places where
people with disabilities might not expect to feel excluded, isolated or
patronized. Yet that has often been the norm. For years congregations
have effectively excluded the disabled from worship—by steps, narrow
doorways and straitened attitudes—or segregated them in "special"
services. Houses of worship (except those with more than 15 employees)
were excluded from the 1992 Americans with Disabilities Act, which,
among other things, bars discrimination against people with physical or
intellectual disabilities—including access and architectural barriers—in
public accommodations and transportation.
Most faiths' scriptures mandate corrective steps, and pragmatism may
soon require them. The U.S. Census in 2000 counted 54 million disabled
individuals—one in six Americans—and that number is probably growing.
Wounded Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are swelling this population.
Thanks to neonatal care and technology advances, at-risk infants with
severe disabilities now survive into adulthood. Most significantly, the
boomer generation is aging and getting ill. Many of them may develop
disabilities but still want to pray at houses of worship.
There are challenges to accessibility and inclusion, even for people
with the best intentions. The elderly and people with disabilities
provide uncomfortable reminders of life's fragility and of death. Those
with mental disabilities can distract during solemn moments. Religious
people generally want to be sincere, welcoming and open, but, like
everyone else, they often lack the experience to respond the right way.
And, to be sure, money is an issue, especially for smaller,
cash-strapped congregations. "When it comes to spending for
architectural accessibility, there is sometimes reluctance on the part
of finance committees," said Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg, senior adviser on
disability issues at the Washington-based Religious Action Center, the
social-justice organization of Reform Judaism. In addition to
shouldering the burdens of poverty if they are no longer able to
work—and the high cost of medication, treatment and
rehabilitation—would-be worshippers "may feel socially stigmatized by
their inability to provide financial support for their congregations,"
according to the rabbi, who suffered traumatic brain injury in a car
crash. As a result of their shame, they may not come to services even
when they are accessible.
But there are also some potential benefits for congregations that are
willing to make the investment in architecture and attitude in order to
become more welcoming. Mainline congregations with declining
memberships, for example, would have much to gain. More families with a
disabled member would attend religious services, experts say, if
congregations would make efforts to open their buildings and programs.
Older people tend to attend services in greater numbers than the young.
The good news is that some churches, synagogues, mosques and temples are
already getting ready for the coming influx of the disabled, tapping
technology and simple thoughtfulness to reach out in creative ways to
this faith-hungry community:
At Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk, Va., priest Joe Metzger
instructs an 11-year-old autistic girl in an empty sanctuary, while
wearing vestments, so she'll feel at ease making her First Communion.
At Bet Shalom Congregation in Minnetonka, Minn., no sanctuary steps lead
to the pulpit; congregants approach it using a long ramp, symbolizing
that all people come to the Torah equally.
At St. John's Episcopal Church, in Charlotte, N.C., and St. Paul's
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Exton, Pa., adult members with Down
Syndrome serve as altar servers, "greeters" and Sunday morning ushers.
As these examples suggest, it takes more than just automatic door
openers, large-print Bibles and improved signage to make a congregation
disability-friendly. In recent years—sometimes under pressure—numerous
Christian and Jewish denominations have also established national
outreach networks to make their congregations accessible. Through groups
like Joni Eareckson's Joni and Friends Disability Center, evangelical
megachurches have become increasingly involved in this effort.
"Of all the barriers to full participation and inclusion, the barrier of
unexamined attitudes is the most difficult to address," said Ginny
Thornburgh, director of the American Association of People with
Disabilities' Interfaith Initiative. Its goal, she says, is "to bring
the powerful and prophetic voice of the faith community to the
21st-century disability agenda," and to involve all religious
communities. "There are no barriers to God's love," Ms. Thornburgh says.
"There should be no barriers in God's house."
—Mr. Pinsky, a longtime religion writer, is at work on a book about
congregations that welcome people with disabilities, to be published in
2010 by the Alban Institute.
Recent Event:
That All May Worship
Saturday, October 10, 2009
That
All May Worship will be held Saturday, October 10th from 9am to 3:30pm
at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Cleveland. All are welcome to this
special event, especially community and disability advocates and members
of all faith communities, regardless of disability.
That All May Worship is an intentional conversation among persons with
disabilities and persons of multiple faith traditions regarding full
inclusion of all persons' gifts and abilities within faith communities.
This gathering features:
- Multi-faith worship lead by persons with disabilities
- Keynote address on building inclusive communities
- Telling Our Stories - sharing the experience of people with disabilities
and their families
- Discussing what works in faith communities
- Networking and a shared meal
Download an application by clicking on the link below.
For more information, call Deborah Nebel or Donna Prease at
216.696.2716.
For a flyer and
registration form in .pdf format, click HERE!
New Handicap Parking Available Along
Fulton Rd.

With special thanks to Councilman Joe Cimperman's
office, we now have a specially designated area for Handicap Parking
only along Fulton Rd. , the closest location to access our new elevator.
If you have the official parking permits, please
feel free to park along this section of Fulton Rd.
If you have need of the elevator, it is available
at most major events, although it always helps insure ease of access if
you call ahead to make sure we know that you are coming. Our phone
number is 216-781-8232.
Resources:

Accessible Congregations
Campaign
of the National Organization
For Disabilities
www.nod.org/religion/index.cfm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Americans With Disabilities Act
www.ada.gov/
 |
|