This is an “It’s About Time” project that will enable users of manual wheelchairs to slip into the bath house with ease and to negotiate cabin entry with neither sweat nor snarl.
No sooner was the check in the hands of Judie Luther and Kamp Kaleo than the Rev. Harold Richardson, pastor at Plymouth Congregational in Crete, and Bob Essig, retired veterinarian from the Burwell church volunteered to oversee the project. It will be done right.

Members of the Nebraska Conference Disabilities Ministries Task Force presented Kamp Kaleo with a $500 matching funds grant* to replace the thresholds of the bath house and most cabins. Expressing gratitude for the grant at the Annual Meeting, Judie Luther said, “This is a small yet much needed improvement in accessibility at Kaleo that will make the camp a welcoming place for everyone.”

Those wishing to contribute to this matching funds grant are invited to mail checks clearly marked for the project to Kamp Kaleo, RR 1 Box 22 A, Burwell, NE 68823.
Empowering all persons to fullness of life and encouraging the inclusion of all in the life and activities of the church are two dimensions of the mission of Disabilities Ministries. The task force states its purpose as follows:

“The mission of the Disabilities Ministries Task Force is to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities, both lay and clergy, in all areas of the life of the Nebraska Conference.”

We encourage congregations, clergy, Search Committees, Church and Ministry Committees, and Conference staff toward a higher level of community with people with disabilities as characterized by attitudinal and architectural welcoming of those among us with disabilities. This involves, but is not limited to, educating people in our churches about the needs, issues, and potential of people with disabilities; advocating for those encountering physical or attitudinal barriers; and supporting and empowering those with disabilities who are called to participate in the church.

Present DM Task Force members are Nancy Erickson, Jeanne Tyler, Fred Anderson, Becky Copple, Kathy Baker, Deb Finn, and Dee Brauninger.

*In the absence of applicants this year for the annual Smaller Church Accessibility Grants, the Disabilities Ministries Task Force has presented Kamp Kaleo with $500 dollars for increasing its accessibility. – db

Readers are invited to share this Reading the Signs column from Nebraska-DM with your conference and church.