Planning For Disabled People

With at least 35 million people with disabilities in America, a worship committee needs to plan to include these people in worship. This process of including people with disabilities begins by determining whether the church building, including the worship space, is fully accessible. This process also involves attitudinal changes, considerations about worship language and worship leaders, and the commitment of the church to be inclusive. The following articles outlines some steps to take in this process.

Although I have spent the last ten years in a wheelchair, I have traveled extensively. I have discovered that there are two kinds of institutions that are least likely to be accessible to me and others like me who are disabled. These institutions are medical and religious buildings. Medical institutions assume that people are either healthy or sick and thus dependent. Clinics and office buildings for doctors are thus constructed with very little regard for people who cannot negotiate steps or get through narrow doorways. Religious institutions seem to be built upon the assumption that only persons who meet some agreed upon standard of normalcy are appropriately welcomed and included. In a world that is increasingly open to people with disabilities, these two institutions stand out in contrast. Airlines, on the other hand, are very receptive. On almost any flight, I am in the company of other people with disabilities. Sometimes as many as four or five of us are on one plane. I frequently ask myself, "?Where are these people on Sunday morning??" The painful answer is that the church sends out a message to people with disabilities that we really are not very welcome, that we make others uncomfortable, and that our presence may disrupt the orderly routine of the worship service. Church buildings have generally been designed and built with the aim of directing the attention of those who enter to an exalted sense of the power and magnificence of God. High vaulted ceilings, great stairways at the entrance and at the chancel, and high arches and mammoth doors are all examples of such efforts. Height seems a characteristic way of focusing the attention of the people upon that which is above, beyond, and mysteriously removed from them. Even newly constructed church buildings seem to continue this traditional pattern. Church buildings might just as well be directed toward the honor of human beings. We, as Christians, center our attention upon a God who became one of us, who is known to us as the Incarnate Lord. Jesus Christ shared our flesh and, as the image of the invisible God, is the supreme revelation of God. This supreme revelation is of primary importance to us. All our images of God must be seen through this revelation; all ideas of God's majesty and mystery must be understood in the light of Christ. Human beings are the reason for church buildings. Church buildings should not be grand monuments to God, but places in which the people of God gather to offer their praise, to hear the story of God's work in the world, and to share in the sacred meal which binds them together with the risen Lord. A church building should be constructed in order that it may primarily relate to people. The Incarnation itself is God's revelation in human terms. The central mystery, which we as Christians celebrate is the Christ, who "?though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men?" (Phil. 2:6; rsv). Therefore, the primary consideration for us, Christians, when planning for worship space is how does it facilitate the gathering of the community of believers? The sense of awe and mystery in the structure is only one of several necessary considerations. The sense of community in the structure and the way in which the space for worship is hospitable for human beings ought to equally considered. A principle for worship used by the Reformers was that worship should be in the language of the people. That is to say, it is absolutely essential that people be encountered where they are. Language is one vehicle of human communication, but only one. Church buildings, which dwarf people, which make human communication difficult, and which inhibit the participation of people, are not buildings that reflect the Incarnation. As we consider the human dimension of worship, we must begin to consider how worship space enhances or deters the ability of human beings to function and respond. We need to be primarily concerned with how real people fit in the space, how their needs to see and to hear are met in the space, and how the space makes them feel about themselves. A building, which is frightening or demeaning, which makes people feel small or insignificant, is a denial of the Incarnation. The designers of such a building do not take seriously the New Testament image of the church as the body of Christ. Most church buildings are a nightmare for many people. They present barriers to the full participation of many. They force people into a position of being outsiders, who must adjust to space that makes it very difficult for them to enter, to see, or to hear, or even to feel at home. The message proclaimed by such a church building is that the building is for those who are young, strong, agile, healthy, and acceptable; for those who understand some sacred mysteries; for those who are good enough, whole enough, mature enough, and robust enough. Church architecture can be, of itself, a means of excluding people who feel small and insignificant, unworthy and unwanted, unwelcome and unable. The body of Christ cannot be fully realized when a great many of the people who should be part of that body are excluded; these excluded people include those, who are not strong enough to climb the many steps, who are not tall enough to reach the handle of the heavy doors, who are not agile enough to fit into the pews, and who are not able to hear or see in the great cavern which is the nave. Dim lighting and great distance may enhance a sense of mystery and awe, but at a terrible cost to people whose participation is made very difficult. A primary question that we must ask ourselves, as we look at the space for worship which we have inherited or which we are about to design, is how it makes possible the full participation of the body, the full and whole body of Christ. How does church architecture enhance or deter the ability of human beings to function? Quite often this seems to have been the very last question asked, if it has been asked at all. I realize that I approach this subject with a particular bias. I come to worship in my wheelchair. In the church in which I worship with my family, I am required to sit in a side aisle. Sitting in the center aisle would interfere with ushering, with processions, and with those who need to use that center aisle for movement. The design of the church building is such that there are rows of pillars which block my view. I must choose my place carefully on a given Sunday. I can choose to see the pulpit or the Communion Table. I cannot see both at the same time from the same location. Thus, my choice of location for my wheelchair on a given Sunday must be determined by what I anticipate as the primary setting for the action that day. In the chapel of the seminary where I am chaplain, I park my chair in the rear of the nave in the last row of pews so that I can move out of the way quickly when the center aisle is being used by others. My situation is not unique. The point is that no one in the church seems to think about the position of anyone else. We as Christians seem to act as if the church was truly designed for God and not for us. How else does one explain the absence from public worship of those who, like myself, have physical disabilities, which are more apparent than the rest of the people in attendance? Even those who appear to be without obvious problems are willing to strain their necks, to peer around the heads of those in front of them, to sit in pews that defy the back muscles, to stand on floors that are slippery and dangerous, to sit in a space that is cold and drafty, and to try to hear sounds that are muffled by high ceilings or by acoustics that are terrible, all in the name of the honor of God. If the Sabbath was made for human beings and not the other way around, then church buildings ought to be designed reflecting that principle. Churches are for the sake of flesh and blood people, who have needs and limitations. They are the people of God and members of the body of Christ, whose presence and full participation are essential for the health of the whole body. Yet we have these buildings. They are not going to go away. We can hope that new churches will be constructed which will not repeat the errors of the past, but what can be done about those which are already with us? First, I suggest that every worship committee get in touch with people in the community, who represent various kinds of disabilities or limitations. Gather together those with visual impairments, arthritic limbs, paralyzed limbs; those who have difficulty in hearing; those who are small (children are excellent because they generally tell the truth); and those who are intimidated by the church. Have these people enter the space used for worship, and let them tell you how it feels and what the real problems are. If you can establish rapport with them, you may very well be surprised at what information you receive. For the first time, you may come to understand how thoroughly anti-human your church building is and how it keeps away many who wish to seek Christ. Before you dismiss this idea as an effort to cater to a few cranks who won't come to church anyway, try it yourself. Take a seat on a Sunday morning. Ask yourself how comfortable you feel. Discover how the design of the space enables you to see, to hear, and to participate in the service. How does the space make you feel about yourself? Do you feel important? Do you feel included in what is happening? Are you related to those about you? On a given Sunday, try to put yourself in the position of a person with a visual impairment. Cover your eyes or simply keep them closed for the duration of the service. How much of what goes on includes you? What good is the bulletin or hymnal? Furthermore, watch children around you. What does worship space do to them? How does it include their needs? Do they seem to feel included in what takes place? These questions need to be faced and answered by all who have a role in the design of worship space. In most of our churches, the answers to these questions are negative. If we are serious about being an inclusive community, we will need to do more than install a ramp at the entrance to the building or mark one of the parking spaces with the symbol for the disabled. Indeed, these actions are important. They are symbolic of our desire to welcome all people, but they can also be terribly misleading if we stop there. There is nothing quite so discouraging as a church building which holds promise from the outside as fully accessible, but which turns out to be impossible for participation in worship after entering it, or which has met some needs, but which has not provided a toilet that is accessible for people in wheelchairs. Planning for persons with disabilities needs to be done with full consideration of all persons and all types of limitations and needs. We need to remember that many types of disabilities exist and that many people are disabled because they do not fit the standard of normalcy. They may, for example, be too short for the planned worship space. In addition, a congregation should take seriously the attitudes which have produced the building in its present shape. Why have we as a congregation been so inconsiderate of the needs of other people? What do we really think a church building is for? If we think that awe and mystery are essential, we may really have to admit that people who do not fit in, who are not "?normal,?" may need to be excluded. We may even discover that we do not want people in our worship who disturb us or make us feel threatened. Our primary values may be such that we cannot really welcome with enthusiasm those who cannot accommodate themselves to our standards and ideals. It is better to face this fact honestly than to pretend that we are open to all people, when, in fact, we are not. The honest confessions of our limitations and the recognition of our deepest fears are far more healthy, than dishonesty. Order and decorum may really be the primary values in our congregation. If that is so, then to encourage parents of a retarded child to bring that child to church will only be damaging in the long run. I know that I speak for many other people with various kinds of disabilities, when I say that I would rather know that I am unwanted then to have my welcome arise from guilt and take the form of pretending behind the mask of fear and shame. We, who already suffer from our physical problems and scars of life, do not want to be misled. If we as Christians can determine that we are really open to an inclusive ministry and ready to pay a price for that inclusiveness, then we can begin to change. The most difficult of all barriers to an inclusive congregation are attitudinal. Once attitudes are changed, the path to full participation by all is one of means and methods. There are many tools to help us proceed in our efforts to make our churches accessible to all people. We can determine, for example, how wide a doorway needs to be to make it possible for a wheelchair to pass through (thirty-two inches). Nearly every denomination has publications which help to outline those steps that need to be taken to ensure the full participation of all. As a beginning, ask these questions: (1) How could a person in a wheelchair enter our building? (2) Is there a place for a wheelchair within the congregation? (3) Are the rest room doors and stalls wide enough to admit a wheelchair? (4) Do we have materials in Braille for use by those with a severe visual impairment? (5) Do we have large print hymnals? (6) Do we use the services of a signer for the benefit and inclusion of persons with hearing difficulty? (7) Does our church have hand rails on all stairs? (8) How safe are the floors for people on crutches? (9) Do we have drivers who will pick up people unable to drive? (10) Is there at least one washbasin no more than thirty inches high in the men's and women's rest rooms? These are a few basic questions. If we can answer them, we have come a very long way toward making our church buildings fully accessible. The range of these questions touches upon many of the barriers, which keep persons with disabilities away from the church. The problem of transportation, for example, is a major barrier to many people, who can neither drive themselves nor ride in public transportation. They do not want to be put in the position of begging for rides, so they are quite likely to remain excluded, alone in their homes. To take the step to provide transportation by enlisting volunteers and then announcing this service so that all may hear is an important move in becoming an inclusive church. Once the person enters the church, the next major obstacle is likely to be the usher. How does the usher welcome and assist the person with an obvious disability? Knowing when to lend an arm and when not to is a learned skill. How friendly is the usher to someone who is having trouble? Sometimes church ushers can seem unfriendly when they may be struggling with themselves and their own fears of being condescending. We need to remember that the usher is the first person met by the newcomer in the church. The usher thus represents the whole congregation. Materials that can be given to assist the person with a disability may spell the difference between participation and exclusion. A Braille hymnal or a large print hymnal may be the way in which a person with a visual impairment can feel included and also participate in worship. The same is true of hearing devices for those who need assistance in overcoming their hearing impairment. The language of worship is, itself, a means by which many people may feel excluded from full participation. We are aware today of the power of exclusive language regarding women; and in most churches we are taking steps to respond to the desire of women to be fully included. The same situation exists for people with physical and emotional disabilities. How often, for example, do we use the word blind to refer to people who are insensitive, ignorant, or unwilling to perceive the truth? The word deaf is also used in the same ways. Some Sunday try to pay attention to the ways in which words describing various kinds of disabilities are used in worship. We may be uncomfortable with what we discover. The language of worship can exclude many people, especially when these people already feel that they are outsiders to the community of faith. An inclusive church pays close attention to its use of words. The language of worship may also discriminate against those persons who are not highly verbal. A significant problem with worship in most churches of the Reformed tradition is the almost total reliance upon words for the proclamation of the message of the gospel. Many people, such as those with severe hearing disabilities, children, those with mental disabilities, and even those with limited educational backgrounds, do not use words easily and do not form conceptions primarily with words. These people respond to stories which are illustrated, to banners with color and symbol, and to movement such as dance. An inclusive church will make every effort to communicate the Good News in as many ways as possible so that all may encounter Christ and respond in love and obedience. The leaders of worship may be important symbols to others. Again, we are slowly learning that the presence of women in leadership positions in worship is an important way of making clear that all are included. The same can be said of the presence of people with various disabilities or limitations. A Scripture lesson read by someone using a cane can do a great deal to symbolize the full inclusion of all. There is great power in the demonstration of the capabilities of those whose limitations are very obvious. When persons with disabilities are given opportunities to provide leadership in worship, they represent hope to all who feel that their abilities are unwanted or unappreciated. All the attention and care to make a church fully accessible will not, by themselves, bring persons with disabilities to the church to be welcomed. After many years of feeling excluded and unwanted, disabled people will likely be hesitant to believe that the church really intends to welcome them. They may remember the times when their own pain was made worse by Christians who reminded them that perhaps the disability was their own fault, from a lack of faith or even a result of the punishment of God. These negative messages do not disappear easily; they are among the reasons that persons with disabilities are not to be found in the church on Sunday. There are people in our congregations, who do not believe that there are a sufficient number of persons with disabilities "?out there?" to make it worth the expenditure of money and effort necessary to become a fully accessible church. These people will be especially vocal when, after some effort and expense to make the church accessible, persons with disabilities do not rush to attend. The absence of a dramatic response will confirm some people's belief that the effort was all a tempest in a teapot. In his excellent book written for the guidance of congregations, Creating the Caring Congregation, Harold Wilke gives some figures which ought to be of concern to us all. Using data from agencies of the various levels of government, he estimates at least 35 million persons have various kinds of disabling conditions. In addition, he states, "?their numbers are increasing. Medical advances have made it possible for a great majority of persons with severe spinal cord injury to continue a useful life?" (Harold H. Wilke, Creating the Caring Congregation [Nashville: Abingdon, 1980], 71). Other groups are also increasing. With better care for newborns, there is an increase in the number of babies born with spinal bifida. The dramatic increases in life expectancy have resulted in larger numbers of aging persons. People with disabling conditions are a significant proportion of the total population. The church must decide if it really wishes to include this large number of people in its ministry. It must come to realize that these people have gifts to give; that disability always carries with it a particular kind of ability that God uses. It is a tragedy that the church has often been an obstacle to the use of the gifts of persons deemed unable to participate because they are different. It will take time and energy beyond the removal of physical barriers to include disabled people in the life of the church. Does the church make it clear in its advertising that the church is fully accessible? Such an announcement, now beginning to be seen in some newspaper ads, is a clear signal of the readiness of the church to receive and include disabled people in its life and work. But even this step will not be enough. Every congregation has in its membership, families in which there is some form of disability present. The persons with disabilities may even have a tangential relationship with the congregation. Often these people have had negative experiences with the church. Perhaps they have had the devastating experience of someone coming up to them and saying, as they have said to me, "?If you had faith, you would be well.?" It does not take very many of these experiences before disabled people decide not to risk contact with church people. People who bear the scars of such hurt will need to be gently invited and encouraged. Perhaps they could be encouraged to attend and to participate in some small group activity so that they can become more comfortable before they venture into the arena of Sunday morning worship. Because of the difficulties, a congregation, which has a vision of being truly inclusive, needs to keep that vision in view and to be persistent. There will be problems. There will be people, who do not agree with the intent. There may be unpleasant moments, when the congregation will wish that they had never begun to open their church and make it more inclusive. The call to be a fully inclusive church must stem from a deep faith in the Lord, who calls us to be his body and who promises that we will meet him as we encounter those who have needs.