Buy Cheap Cialis Online - (06/23/2010)

Buy cheap cialis online, Them vs. Köpa billiga cialis, Us: A Litany

Where do I fit in.

A group of any size can be divided into these two parts for this litany, ordering cialis online legally. Buy cialis, It is based on a poem by Simone Poortman.

Them Us
Where do I fit in, Indiana IN Ind. .

Them: If I am one of “them”, they are “us

Us: If I am one of “us”, who are “they”, buy cheap cialis online. Order cialis online without prescription, Them: Being one of “us” is only half”

Us: I miss “them”`

Them: Only when I am one of “them” can I be part of the
Complete “us”

Us: I know both: “them” and “us”

Them: How do I dare to become one of “them”
To become one of “us”.

Us: How do I dare to become one of “them”
To become one of “us”, New Jersey NJ N.J. . Buy cheap cialis, ALL: We are both them and us.
Amen, comprar en línea cialis. Louisiana LA , This poem was shared during the 2006 World Council of Churches gathering in Brazil. Simone Poortman is from the Netherlands and is part of the WCC Disabilities Caucus, order cialis pills. Köpa rabatterade cialis, From Jo Clare Hartsig, Ed., purchase cialis, Billige cialis apotek, A2A Study Guide. http://www.uccdm.org, cialis online kopen. Washington WA Wash. . North Dakota ND . Koop korting cialis. District of Columbia DC D.C. . Buy cialis online without prescription. Cheapest cialis online. Massachusetts MA Mass. . Cialis without prescription. Buy cialis online. Comprar cialis de descuento. Cialis prices.

Similar posts: Buy levitra. Buy cafergot online cheap. Buy soma without prescription. Order cafergot online cheap. Buy cheap soma online. Order levitra online cheap.
Trackbacks from: Buy cheap cialis online. Buy cheap cialis online. Buy cheap cialis online. Buy cheap cialis online. Buy cheap cialis online. Buy cheap cialis online.

Order Cheap Cialis Online - (06/20/2010)

Order cheap cialis online, The United Church of Christ National Committee on Persons with Disabilities has as its major goal the full integration of persons with disabilities and their families into the life of the church.

Many of us have attended churches where the church bulletin bore the quotations, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go in to the House of the Lord.'" We must be certain that the doors to that house are always open to all, no matter what difficulties they or those they love may face in seeking to enter, so that the gladness and joy of acceptance can be known by all. May it be so, and soon.

In late 1990 we wrote to all Conference Ministers of the United Church of Christ, asking them to nominate programs and persons that, in their judgment, best served the goal of full inclusiveness. The stories herein offer examples of loving and inclusive ministries, ministries which are themselves both visions of hope and models of the inclusiveness of the Kingdom of God.

Churches honored include:

First Congregational Church, UCC in Cadillac, Michigan
First Congregational Church, UCC in Camden, Maine
First Congregational Church, UCC in Great Falls, Montana
Central Congregational Church, UCC in Topeka, Kansas
St, order cheap cialis online. John's UCC in Storm Lake, cialis prescription, Iowa, and First Congregational Church, UCC, in Newell, Iowa
St. Peter's Church, UCC in Washington, Missouri
Three churches in Rhode Island Conference: Chepachet Union Church; Riverside Congregational Church, UCC; and United Congregational Church of Litltle Compton

Individuals honored include:

Rev. Dr. Dallas A. Order cheap cialis online, Brauninger, First Congregational Church, UCC in Hemingford, Nebraska
Rev. Kathi D. Wolfe, Osta cialis, UCC Office of Communication
Rev. Nancy Erickson, Lincoln, Nebraska
Rev. Ronald A. Getsay, Marion, Ohio
Mrs, order cheap cialis online. Roberta Martin and her son Christ Martin of Southwest UCC in Portland, Oregon

First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Cadillac, Michigan, has an active ministry with persons who are deaf or hearing impaired. In early 1987, an individual who is deaf offered a sign language class for people in the community. Several people from the church took the class.

During this time it became clear that people who were deaf needed a place to socialize. Order cheap cialis online, First Congregational offered its facilities and the Deaf Fellowship Club was begun. This club has met spontaneously since 1987, For cialis online. People from an area of 50 miles around the church have attended those social gatherings.

Later the church began to offer ten-week sign language classes at the church itself. There was an excellent response to the offer from the community as well as from members of the church. Seventy people attended, and the group had to be divided into two groups, order cheap cialis online. Through publicity about the sign language class, the church became identified with sign language and persons who are deaf.

This sensitivity to the needs of persons who are deaf led in turn to having worship services “signed” at least once a month. Sometimes as many as ten persons who are deaf attend these worship services. Again because of the church’s concern for persons who are deaf or hearing impaired, several have become active members of First Congregational. Order cheap cialis online, Some have served or are serving as deacons, others host dinners and coffee hours, and many have become active participants in worship by signing poems or songs, or sharing prayer concerns.

The congregation has also installed a ramp to make the sanctuary and offices accessible to persons with mobility impairments, has large print bulletins, and has hymns in large print available upon request. It has also installed grab bars in the women’s rest room as well as TTY (telephone for the deaf.)

*

First Congregational Church, Um cialis online, UCC in Camden, Maine. From 1971-1988 the church has provided space for a school for 40 intellectually disabled individuals, who use the Sunday school rooms as classrooms. The school was run in conjunction with the local school board, and lunches provided by the school board were brought to the church each noon during the school year.

All students who attended public school classes at the church are now in a nearby sheltered workshop, and the church building is no longer needed, order cheap cialis online. Every Friday evening, however, a group of persons with intellectual disabilities meet for a social evening. Many of them are people who formerly attended the school held at the church. In April of 1990 a group of these young people put on the musical, Grease.

We saluted First Congregational Church, UCC for providing space for work and play for so many persons with disabilities. Order cheap cialis online, *

In 1987 the Montana-Northern Wyoming Conference passed a resolution asking all the churches in the conference to make their churches accessible; it repeated that request in 1990. First Congregational Church, Montana MT Mont. , UCC in Great Falls, a church with 450 members, responded quickly, with an impressive list of past and present actions and future plans for making their church totally accessible.

Prior to the 1987 Conference Resolution, the church had:
• Reserved parking spaces for persons with disabilities
• An accessible sanctuary and offices
• An accessible restroom
• Hearing aids in the sanctuary, and
• A lift installed to make fellowship hall accessible.

Since 1987, it has added:
• Large print bulletins
• Increased parking spaces for per sons with disabilities
• Additional pulpit microphone for those with hearing impairments
• Accessibility signs on the building and in the telephone book
• The signing of one service per month for hearing impaired. (This is the only local televised service that is interpreted.)

First Congregational now plans to upgrade its accessible restroom from one unisex restroom to making both men’s and women’s restrooms accessible and to add an elevator which will reach the downstairs Christian Education Wing.

When these future plans are completed, First Congregational UCC of Great Falls, Montana will be TOTALLY accessible, order cheap cialis online. We salute them for their fine work.

*
Central Congregational, UCC in Topeka, Where to buy cialis, Kansas has made significant progress in its long range plans to be physically and attitudinally accessible. It has built a ramp to make the sanctuary accessible and prints large-print bulletins each week. It has also hired a signer to include hearing-impaired children of members and others in the Sunday school and worship experiences. Order cheap cialis online, A few years ago the Diaconate instituted a transportation program for shut-ins, which included volunteers who would take the initiative to call and inquire of shut-ins whether they would like to be picked up for Sunday worship. This effort aimed to remove the stigma of needing (and having to ask for_ special care by having the volunteers express the congregation’s desire to include in worship those without their own transportation.

That effort proved so successful that the church purchased a van. Suddenly more persons expressed interest. Because the first van was difficult for some to enter and exit, a second, larger van with a wheelchair lift has been added. The ramp is no longer a passive invitation to those who are able to get to church on their own, order cheap cialis online. Now the congregation is sensitive to the need to be physically barrier-free from door-to-door, and attitudinally barrier-free, from invitation—to welcome- to “see you again!”

*

St. John’s UCC in Storm Lake, Iowa, and First Congregational Church, Iowa IA , UCC, in Newell, Iowa enthusiastically called the Rev. Peter Wenzel as their pastor. He accepted this call as his first full-time parish and began his ministry with the two churches on March 1, 1990. Order cheap cialis online, Mr. Wenzel was born with spina bifida and is unable to walk without crutches; occasionally he uses a wheelchair to get around. He is a man of many gifts who has been received in the church and community and is becoming active in the Iowa Conference programs.

We are pleased to honor the two churches who recognized his ability for ministry, and to honor the Rev. peter Wenzel, both for his courage and determination and for his devotion to the life of Christ’s church.
*
For many decades, St, order cheap cialis online. Peter’s Church, South Carolina SC S.C. , UCC in Washington, Missouri, has expressed concern for people with disabilities. The consciousness of the church regarding persons with disabilities was raised many years ago by the Wilke family, of which the well-known Rev. Dr. Harold Wilke, a man who was born without arms, is a part. Order cheap cialis online, Over a period of ten years the church has expressed this commitment by building a ramp, installing an elevator and accessible restrooms, and putting in a new amplification system. In addition, many in the congregation have been strong supporters of the Emmaus Homes for individuals who are mentally disabled. They sponsor birthday parties for residents’ birthdays, give other holiday parties, have provided scorekeepers for Emmaus’ bowling league, and have painted, Rhode Island RI R.I. , landscaped, and done other maintenance work projects. They also helped develop and staff a sheltered workshop near the Marthasville campus.

Despite some resistance from the town, they are turning their old parsonage, across from the church, into a group home for six individuals who have been residing at t he Emmaus Home.

The church had also given a ramp for an Emmaus van, and has during the past two years contributed $1,000.00 each year to help underwrite the yearly “Open Your Heart” Dinner, order cheap cialis online. Proceeds from this dinner go into a resident’s trust fund to pay the expenses of those whose families cannot cover their child’s expenses. The dinner costs $20,000.00 to put on, and each guest pays $100.00 per plate. At the last dinner 37 members from St. Peter’s attended. Order cheap cialis online, In 1984, when St. Kopen goedkope cialis, Peter’s celebrated its 140th anniversary, it gave $14,000 as an anniversary gift to Emmaus; during a five year capital fund campaign, St. Peter’s raised $77,000.00 for Emmaus. Numerous members of St. Peter’s have served on the Board of Directors of the Emmaus Hmes and have provided significant leadership. Currently t he pastor, William Schwab, and two others, Delores Borcherding and Elmer Heidmann, are board members, order cheap cialis online. We honor them for their continuing devotion.

*

We honor three Rhode Island Churches:

Chepachet Union Church has removed pews in the front of the church to accommodate wheelchairs; installed an automatic chairlift into the sanctuary; remodeled its bathrooms to make them wheelchair accessible, designated handicapped parking spaces, and installed ramps to the main doorway and to the bathrooms;

Riverside Congregational UCC has installed a handicapped entrance ramp with railings, made restrooms accessible to persons with disabilities, created seating for persons in wheelchairs within the body of the congregation, installed hearing aids for those who need them, buy cialis no rx, and made large print bulletins available on request; and

The United Congregational Church of Little Compton has installed an elevator which goes directly from a ramp entrance into the sanctuary, has renovated the bathroom to provide a wide doorway, and elevated the fixtures to proper heights, and had installed a new speaker system so that those who have difficulty hearing can sit anywhere in the church.

*

The Rev. Dr. Dallas “Dee” Brauninger Order cheap cialis online, served with her husband, Bob, as co-pastor of First Congregational Church, UCC, in Hemingford, Nebraska until acute arthritis affected her jaw to the point that she found it difficult to speak. At present, she is almost entirely sightless, and has a leader Dog. Because she is an excellent writer, however, her ministry now consists primarily by use of the written word.

It was very painful for Dee to have to give up preaching and the active pastoral ministry. Cheap cialis, Yet, she consciously continues her ministry not only by writing but by minimizing her disability. Her goal is to make blindness look easy, so that people see the person first and not the disability, order cheap cialis online.

This admirable clergywoman is constantly looking for ways to minister to those around her. For example, Dee studies the Bible by having friends read parts of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible to her (just published and she was curious), while she types passages onto her computer. As she does so, she begins to hear various voices of the congregation which combine to form choral readings. She has put together different groups to read to her, such as “family groupings, disputing individuals, combinations of generations and those who needed lifting up as creatures of God.” In this wonderful way she involves those who might not ordinarily participate in worship. Order cheap cialis online, There are many other creative ways this creative lady ministers. She prepared, at the request of the Conference office, a tape for a man who went through a difficult time visually, New Hampshire NH N.H. . The tape dealt with ways to compensate and cope with lack of sight. She also coordinates the taping of UCC News, having a retired RN in the congregation do the reading. The nurse had to retire early due to rheumatoid arthritis. Another of Dee’s projects is a weekly ecology column in the local newspaper, order cheap cialis online. The list of important projects Dee undertakes goes on and on.

Chicago Theological Seminary recently awarded both Bob and Dee Brauninger the degree of Doctor of Divinity for their faithful ministry on a rural setting. We honor Dee Brauninger as an outstanding clergy person, not because of a disability, but in spite of it.

*
The Rev. Order cheap cialis online, Kathi D. Wolfe, a United Church of Christ National staff member with the Office of Communications, is not only a valued member of the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities, Pharmacy cialis, but she has recently been appointed to the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.

In inviting her to serve as chairperson of the Committee, Justin Dart cited her “commitment and dedication to advance opportunities for persons with disabilities.” On the President’s Committee, Ms Wolfe will address disability-related employment concerns, especially those of women, minorities, and older workers.

A native of New Hope, PA, Kathi earned the degree of bachelor of arts in 1975 from Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, and the degree of Masters of Divinity in 1978 from Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut, buy cialis online without prescription. She was ordained to Christian ministry in 1980 by the Central Atlantic Conference of the UCC. She now is a member of the Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC in Cleveland, and holds her ministerial standing in the Ohio Conference, order cheap cialis online.

As Coordinator for Special Projects for the UCC National Office of Communications, she was the producer of “Reaching for a Dream,” a videotape on people of color with disabilities. Prior to assuming her present position with the UCC Office of Communications, she worked in that office as a staff writer from 1987 to the present.

Kathi Wolfe has held many other positions, including that of Minister of Outreach at First Congregational Church, UCC, in Passaic, NJ; that of social worker with the Social Service Federation of Englewood, NJ; and field representative with the New Jersey Department of Public Advocates on the Division of Advocacy for the Developmentally Disabled. She was the first project access coordinator with New Jersey’s transit bus operations in Maplewood, Goedkope cialis apotheek, NJ, where she set up a program to publicize the corporation’s fleet of wheelchair accessible buses. Order cheap cialis online, Kathi is a published poet, who also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association for the Blind, and has been a member of the New Jersey Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities.

In nominating Kathi Wolfe for her outstanding contributions as an individual with a disability, the Rev. Curtis Clare, her former conference minister, attested to her sense of humor, her sensitivity, and to the inspiration she gave him when he himself was experiencing vision problems.

*

The Rev. Nancy Erickson is a paraplegic ([paralyzed in both the upper and lower parts of her body). Despite this disability, she is now the first chaplain of the Lancaster County Jail in Lincoln, Nebraska, order cheap cialis online. She holds a B.A. in sociology and psychology (1969), a M.A. (1971) in educational psychology, kjøpe cialis, and a M. Div. Order cheap cialis online, from Yale Divinity School (1989). She was a delegate from Nebraska to the White House Conference on handicapped individuals in 197, was listed in Who’s Who Among American College and University Students in 1969, and in Who’s Who in America in 1980.

During her senior year at Yale, Nancy began to experience the frustration shared by many bright persons with disabilities. Her profile was widely circulated, but she kept receiving rejection letters while her classmates, many of whom had far less experience, found employment in local parishes. In late July, 1989, Rhode Island RI R.I. , a friend suggested that she volunteer at the Lancaster County Jail. She met with the Director and Program Director of the Jail, who agreed to allow her to volunteer as a chaplain and suggested that she attend a Sunday worship to “get a feel for the work.”

On the Sunday she came “to visit,” the minister scheduled to speak failed to appear, so Nancy stepped in, order cheap cialis online. Her reception was overwhelmingly positive, and in November of that same year Nancy Erickson began her work as chaplain t Lancaster County Jail. Working first with a small salary provided by her church, First Plymouth Congregational, UCC, pastured by Rev. Otis young, and then by the Lincoln Interfaith Church, she has since received a small grant from the UCBHM to enable her to continue this work.

Her tasks as chaplain include leading workshops, counseling, and listening to and praying with those in jail. Order cheap cialis online, She sees a parallel between persons with disabilities and those who are incarcerated, since she believes that if either raised questions about their circumstances, their questions are seen not as legitimate objections but as troublemaking. Her personal experience has led her to question her role in an unjust system, and to cry for justice for all, pharmacy cialis. As Christians committed to justice, we are grateful for Nancy Erickson and others like her who are willing to face and attempt to deal with injustice wherever it appears.

{Editorial Note, 2010: Nancy went on to become an Associate Minister of First Plymouth, the largest UCC in Nebraska. She can be contacted through the staff link at First Plymouth.]

*

The Rev. Ronald A, order cheap cialis online. Getsay is a native of Ohio, having spent his childhood in Warren, Ohio. He attended Heidelberg College and Youngstown University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962. He is a graduate of united Theological Seminary and was ordained by the Eastern Ohio Association in 1965.

Ron began his ministry in Waldo, Missouri MO Mo. , Ohio where he served the yoked parishes of Sr. Order cheap cialis online, Joseph and St. John’s UCC. Shortly after beginning his work in Waldo, he discovered that he had multiple sclerosis and was hospitalized. After being released from the hospital, Ron gradually resumed his pastoral duties, and for a time it seemed as if his multiple sclerosis had been arrested. In 1968, however, he found the pastorate of two churches too taxing. He resigned and became the pastor of Salem UCC in Marion, Ohio, order cheap cialis online. Then, in 1972, Ron experienced more and more limitations. He struggled, but in February, Vermont VT Vt. , 1976, he realize he could no longer meet the needs of a local parish, and he resigned.

Ron, however, has never given up being a faithful servant of Christ. Since leaving the pastorate because of lagging strength, he has been a leader for persons with disabilities both in the Ohio Conference, UCC, as well as in the Ohio Council of Churches. Order cheap cialis online, During the 1970’s and 1980’s he was chair person of the Ohio Task Force on Disabilities, now renamed Enabling Ministries Together.

C. William Wealand, Minister for Outdoor ministries, För cialis online, stated, “The renaming of the task force was initiated by Ron Getsay, and is symbolic of his own growth. He has been, and is, a principal mover, raising sensitivities about differently-abled persons taking action to change the location of the Northwest Ohio Association and the Ohio Conference office to facilities that are accessible, and working for the inclusion of differently abled persons in positions of leadership in the Ohio Conference.”

In 1983 Ron wrote a book entitled, An Inclusive Church: Character and Ministry. In it, he wrote:

An inclusive personality is a reality we can help bring into being. In his longing to be free of his affliction, the apostle Paul prayed three times that it would be removed, order cheap cialis online. His prayer was unanswered: “My grace is all you need, for my power is stronger when you are weak.” Our acknowledgment of God’s presence and power in our lives, and our acceptance of our own weakness, offers us the reality of an inclusive personality, παραγγείλετε online cialis. It has been my experience in the past sixteen years, and particularly most recently, that when I allow the grace and power of God to be alive in my being, I can live with myself and others.

Thus we honor Ronald A. Getsay, a man who has truly used his disability for the glory of God and the good of humankind.

*

Roberta Martin Order cheap cialis online, of Milwaukee, Oregon, active and activist church member, has a son, Chris, who was born with Downs Syndrome. Because of the efforts of his mother, Christ, now 36, has been from his earliest years mainstreamed into the life of the Southwest UCC in Portland, OR. Each Sunday Chris Martin rings the bell signifying the beginning of the worship service; he then serves as acolyte, Buy cialis, sets up music stands for the prelude, arranges flowers, helps prepare refreshments, and confers with his pastor, the Rev. Richard S. Kidmore.

The church has been a source of strength for Christ, who has completed a program at Pacific State University for persons with Downs and moved into a group home which provides semi-independent living, order cheap cialis online. Christ now attends a sheltered workshop.
Christ is described as an exemplary individual who gives unselfishly to others, and as a great competitor who loves to win but accepts defeat. Certainly these attributes were fostered and encouraged by his parents, and especially by his mother, Roberta, who has worked tirelessly not only for him but for all persons with developmental disabilities. She has served on the Board od Directors and has been President of the Portland Habilitation Center, Maryland MD Md. , a vocational and residential service program for adults with developmental disabilities. Order cheap cialis online, She has also served on the Board of Rainbow Adult Living Facilities, Inc., investigated the development of statewide guardianship programs, and has provided an advocacy program within the association for retarded citizens of Oregon.

She also has taught at Portland Habilitation Center and served on its Board, where she has been a supportive friend and advisor to many parents who have children with developmental disabilities. She was honored in the 1970’s as “Woman of the Year” in recognition of her tireless efforts on behalf of people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Roberta is the author of C is for Christopher, a book about the relationship between her son and Lloyd Renolds, renowned lecturer, author, and calligrapher. Chris and Lloyd illustrated the book. All proceeds from sales go directly to the Association of Retarded Citizens of Multnomah County, Portland, OR, for the benefit of those they serve. She also developed a very fine brochure for the Central pacific Conference of the UCC on Disabilities and the church.

We salute Roberta Martin for all she has done not only for her own son, Chris, but for all other persons with developmental disabilities and their families.
**

.

Similar posts: Order cafergot. Buy cheap levitra online. Buy soma cod. Buy cafergot no prescription. Buy cafergot. Cafergot over the counter.
Trackbacks from: Order cheap cialis online. Order cheap cialis online. Order cheap cialis online. Order cheap cialis online. Order cheap cialis online. Order cheap cialis online.

Order levitra online cheap, The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns will meet in San Diego, July 14-17, 2010. Theme of the National Gathering is "Anybody, generic levitra, Alaska AK , Everybody, Christ's Body."

Details and registration information can be found at www.ucccoalition.org, Kentucky KY Ky. . Montana MT Mont. , Carolyn Thompson, former member of UCCDM, buy levitra pills, Billig levitra apotek, will be keynote speaker, addressing “Creation, order levitra online, Order levitra online without prescription, Communion and Community” and the realities of living life with a disability. She will also present a breakout session discussing A2A [Anybody, lowest price levitra, Cheap levitra tablets, Everybody, Christ's Body], levitra ordine on-line. Ordering levitra overnight delivery, Over the years the UCC Coalition has focused on various groups facing double discrimination as lgbt persons and members of a minority. This includes discrimination within the lgbt community against persons of color, köpa billiga levitra, Tennessee TN Tenn. , transgender persons, and now, Rabatt kaufen levitra, Cheap levitra without prescription, this year, persons living with disabilities, buy levitra. Ordering levitra online cheap, "I believe this is a historic first - historic in that the Coalition has not focused at a national gathering on living with disabilities, and a first in that I hope there will be many more opportunities for collaboration."

The Rev, levitra online kopen. Vermont VT Vt. , Grant F. Sontag
Member of the Coalition National Gathering Planning Committee
Former board member of UCCDM, order levitra online legally. New Jersey NJ N.J. . Levitra online stores. Køb billige levitra. Order levitra cod.

Similar posts: Order cialis. Buy cheap aricept online. Buy aricept no prescription. Buy levitra. Buy cafergot online cheap. Buy soma without prescription.
Trackbacks from: Order levitra online cheap. Order levitra online cheap. Order levitra online cheap. Order levitra online cheap. Order levitra online cheap. Order levitra online cheap.

Buy Levitra Cod - (12/09/2009)

A church without people with disabilities is itself disabled. Buy levitra cod, – Jürgen Moltmann

"The class filled up right away. Not one class member missed even one hour – great discussions, Colorado CO Colo. , Online levitra, " the Rev. Craig Modahl said about his course that will be offered again this January at the Chicago Theological Seminary, kopen goedkope levitra. Buy levitra, After first teaching "Theology of Ministry with People with Developmental Disabilities" in January of 2008, Modahl will again be teaching the course in an adjunct faculty position and the ongoing offering of his course, buy levitra online cheap. Ordering levitra online without prescription, The Dr. Scott Haldeman, Professor of Worship, will co-teach, buy levitra cod.

"Leaders of faith communities and spiritual guides need to be aware of the implications of disability in the lives of all people they support, billig kaufen levitra, Levitra pedido en línea, " Modahl said. "We need to be able to fully embrace individuals of all abilities through our words, Kaufen levitra, Nebraska NE Nebr. , actions and beliefs."

A 2006 CTS graduate, he has worked with the seminary regarding developmental disabilities in a variety of settings over the years, order levitra no prescription. Om levitra online, "Many experiences within the church have not been supportive, helpful, levitra prescription, För levitra online, or inclusive," he said, levitra online kaufen. Where to buy levitra, "That is what brought me to a seminary known for its political activism and inclusion of the excluded."

Through lectures, assigned readings, levitra farmacia a buon mercato, Buy cheap levitra, conversations with advocates and self-advocates, and active engagement, order levitra c.o.d., Buy levitra no prescription, future pastors and ministers will explore the multiple issues facing people with developmental disabilities and their loved ones. Buy levitra cod, Experiential learning is an important part of the week long intensive. Members of the disability community share experiences and insights, pharmacy levitra. Levitra no prescription, Individual student projects involve engaging the lives of individuals with disabilities.

In addition to being executive director of a nonprofit organization serving individuals with developmental disabilities in a variety of community based settings, buy levitra cod, Købe levitra, he and his wife have for the last two decades provided a home for two men with developmental disabilities.

Craig Modahl serves throughout Wisconsin Conference, cheap levitra overnight delivery, having been ordained by the Southeast Association to a disabilities ministries specialty. He is a member of the board of directors of the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries (UCC DM), buy levitra cod.

"God also is definitely still speaking at Eden Theological Seminary," Ryan Mathews said when telling about a new course offered at the seminary that will explore injustice, inhumanity, and institutional ableism.

"Disability Justice and Spiritual Health: On the Road to Dismantle Ableism in Faith-Based Practice," will address God’s mission of healing, wholeness and reconciliation in the church and in the world.

Mathews said the primary course goal is the pastoral formation of leadership for communities of faith that practice hospitality, inclusion, mutual interdependence, and right relationship.

"The ability to articulate the relationship between inequity and spiritual loss will be fostered," he said. Buy levitra cod, "Both language and tools will be provided to help in the dismantling of such oppression."

Mathews, a second-year Eden seminarian who also serves on the UCC DM board of directors, noted that one of the co-teachers is a person with a mobility disability.

The course will be taught by the Rev. Dr. Marilyn Stavenger, Eden Professor Emerita of Field Education and the Practice of Ministry and Dr. Karen Hagrup, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Education.

Similar posts: Buy soma no prescription. Buy cialis no prescription. Order cheap cialis online. Order cheap levitra online. Soma over the counter. Buy cialis c.o.d..
Trackbacks from: Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod.

Buy levitra no prescription, "If inclusive language, or political correctness, is meant to avoid insult, stereotypes, discrimination, or exclusion, that’s a positive thing and I’m on board," writes Ann Pietrangelo in "The Art of Inclusive Language."

Read the full Care2 make a difference blog article at http://www.care2.com. Posted in Health and Wellness on November 23, Hawaii HI , Billige levitra apotek, 2009 at 11:05 a.m. Ordering levitra no rx. Buy levitra without prescription. Price of levitra. Levitra prices. Order levitra overnight delivery. Cheapest levitra. Pharmacie levitra bon marché. Levitra discount. φτηνές φαρμακείο levitra. Cheap generic levitra. Cheap levitra online cheap. Comprar levitra de descuento. Cheap levitra no prescription. Purchase levitra online. Buy levitra online. Alabama AL Ala. . Georgia GA Ga. . New York NY N.Y. . Comprar levitra. Ordering levitra online legally. Levitra en ligne afin. Minnesota MN Minn. . Order levitra online.

Similar posts: Buy cheap cialis online. Buy aricept. Order soma online cheap. Order soma without prescription. Buy levitra without prescription. Order cafergot.
Trackbacks from: Buy levitra no prescription. Buy levitra no prescription. Buy levitra no prescription. Buy levitra no prescription. Buy levitra no prescription. Buy levitra no prescription.

Order levitra without prescription, WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Oklahoma OK Okla. , Senator Barbara A. Mikulski today introduced “Rosa’s Law,” a bill that will eliminate the terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” from the federal law books, buy levitra from canada. U.S. Senator Michael B, order levitra without prescription. South Dakota SD , Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Idaho ID , Labor and Pensions Committee, Cheapest levitra, is the Republican sponsor of the bill.

Under Rosa’s Law, those terms would be replaced with “intellectual disability” and “individual with an intellectual disability” in federal education, Tennessee TN Tenn. , health and labor law. Louisiana LA , The bill does not expand or diminish services, rights or educational opportunities. It simply makes the federal law language consistent with that used by the Centers for Disease Control, levitra pills, the World Health Organization and the President of the United States, Buy levitra online without prescription, through his Committee on Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. Order levitra without prescription, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2009

Contact:
Annie Acosta
The Disability Policy Collaboration
(202) 783-2229/ acosta@thedpc.org

The Disability Policy Collaboration Applauds the U.S. Senate’s Introduction of Legislation to Use the Term “Intellectual Disability”

Washington, D.C, buy levitra online. – The Disability Policy Collaboration (DPC), Ordering levitra online, a partnership of The Arc of the United States (The Arc) and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) to advance federal disability public policy, applauds today’s introduction of “Rosa’s Law,” a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S, purchase levitra online. Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Michael Enzi (R-WY). Levitra no prescription, Modeled after a recently enacted law in the state of Maryland, this legislation would substitute the outdated, stigmatizing terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” with the terms “intellectual disability” and “individual with an intellectual disability” in federal health, order levitra online without prescription, education and labor policy statutes.

The term “intellectual disability” covers the same population of individuals who were previously diagnosed with the term “mental retardation,” and “mentally retarded.” Therefore, the change in terminology would in no way alter the eligibility requirements for services and supports, order levitra without prescription. Utah UT , “This bill is very important for people with intellectual disabilities who understand that language plays a crucial role in how they are perceived and treated in society and are actively advocating for terminology changes in federal and state laws. ‘Retard,’ ‘retarded’ and ‘retardation, price of levitra,’ once accepted medical terms, Order levitra cod, are now often used to demean and insult people,” stated Peter V. Berns, levitra prices, Chief Executive Officer of The Arc. Purchase levitra, “The Arc believes that changing how we talk about people with disabilities is a critical step in promoting and protecting their basic civil and human rights.”

According to Stephen Bennett, President and CEO, UCP, Køb discount levitra, “By using the term ‘intellectual disability, Ordering levitra without prescription, ’ we expect citizens of the U.S. Order levitra without prescription, and the world to understand and treat people experiencing this condition – whether it is a result of genetics, injury, illness or unknown causes – with dignity and respect. The descriptions of people are very important and imply how we value people, and the Senate’s introduction of ‘Rosa’s Law’ is aligned with the aim of UCP and its nationwide network of affiliates to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every facet of society.”

Senator Mikulski’s statement to the U.S, Pennsylvania PA Penn. . Senate upon introduction of the bill is available at: http://mikulski.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=319975&. Alaska AK , While the DPC supports the U.S. Senate’s introduction of Rosa’s Law, it is only the first step in a lengthy process towards enactment, παραγγείλετε online levitra. The Arc and UCP will continue to work together to ensure the bill’s introduction in the U.S, order levitra without prescription. House of Representatives and its progression through the entire legislative process. Buy levitra cheap, About the Disability Policy Collaboration

The Disability Policy Collaboration (DPC) is a partnership of The Arc of the United States (The Arc) and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) to advance federal disability public policy through a merged government affairs office, which combines resources and talent from both organizations. Begun in 2003, the collaboration assures cost-effective performance for its parent organizations, while combining for a more powerful voice for people with disabilities. The DPC leads efforts in mobilizing chapters, affiliates, self-advocates, families and other supporters to become active players in national public policy. Order levitra without prescription, The Arc is the largest community-based nonprofit working through a network of 732 state and local chapters and their members to advocate on behalf of and serve people with intellectual and related developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc works to improve systems of supports and services, connect families, inspire communities, and influence public policy. It is the only organization that supports persons from pre-natal care through end-of-life issues and over 100 diagnoses that may include the effects of intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Autism. For more information, please visit www.thearc.org.
UCP is a leading service provider for adults and children with disabilities. UCP’s mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network, and its services reach over 176,000 adults and children daily through its network of approximately 100 affiliates in the U.S., Canada, Scotland and Australia, order levitra without prescription. For more information, please visit www.ucp.org.

# # #

The Disability Policy Collaboration of The Arc and UCP
1660 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 200136
p. 202.783.2229 | f. 202.783.8250

.

Similar posts: Buy cialis cod. Order soma no prescription. Order aricept online cheap. Buy levitra no prescription. Buy cafergot c.o.d.. Buy cafergot cod.
Trackbacks from: Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription.

Order cheap levitra online, First Congregational Church, UCC, in Boulder, Colorado, a Rocky Mountain Conference Congregation, requests that readers comment on the content and presentation of two documents below that the beacon church has developed for churches interested in becoming Accessible to All churches.

An A2A study guide prepared by the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministires for churches who covenant to become Accessible to All churches is available for download at this website.

Comments about the Covenant and the Introduction to the Covenant may be made using the comment box at the conclusion of this article, California CA Calif. . The Introduction reflects theess by which the Covenant was taken to the congregation. Osta levitra online, Below are two documents:

Introduction to the Accessible to All Covenant

and a covenant draft prepared by Dr. Kevin Pettit, Rocky Mountain Conference Disabilities Inclusion Associate and member of First Congregational,

A2A -- Accessible to All -- Covenant

Introduction to the Accessible to All Covenant


Sunday, October 25, 2009
Rhonda Fadum, Moderator

Today I am pleased to present to you a draft of a new covenant for our church to consider, the Accessible to All Covenant, order cheap levitra online. Our church’s covenants are statements of our agreed upon shared values that guide our life together as a community of faith. Presently our congregation has four covenants that have been adopted by a vote of the congregation: Inclusive Language, acheter levitra bon marché, Just Peace, Rabatt kaufen levitra, Open and Affirming, and Whole Earth.

The covenant we are presenting today we will not ask you to vote on until a later congregational meeting, discount levitra. Between today and that meeting we will be providing opportunities for the congregation to engage in dialogue, Cheap levitra, study, and reflection on the issues of accessibility, so that we will be better informed as we vote on the Accessible to All Covenant, levitra online kaufen. Order cheap levitra online, After the reading of the draft of the covenant, I will mention several action steps.

In a moment we will pass out the draft of the covenant and Kevin Pettit and others from the team that worked on this draft will read it aloud. Cheapest levitra prices, We will then entertain any questions or comments you might have at this time. But before we do that, let me give four reasons why we are bringing this covenant to our church’s attention at this time, buy levitra online.

  1. The issues of physical accessibility have been an important part of our church’s consciousness as we began our vision plan for our church facilities over ten years ago. We have made some progress in making our buildings more accessible, but we realize there is much more to accessibility than ramps and elevators, order cheap levitra online. Om levitra online,
  2. During our building projects we had small group meetings to raise our consciousness about how many different ways we were unintentionally putting up barriers to full inclusion regarding accessibility in our church, and we became determined to address them. With one of our members, For levitra online, Kevin Pettit, Wisconsin WI Wis. , becoming a Disabilities Inclusion Associate with the Rocky Mountain Conference UCC, we were given a natural opportunity to move forward
  3. Two years ago, we began our Mental Health Ministry which has been working diligently through education and consciousness raising to reduce the stigma and provide welcome and support to those living with mental illnesses/brain disorders and their families, kjøpe levitra. This effort, Buy levitra without prescription, too, has made us more aware of accessibility issues that need to be addressed. Alan Johnson is the chair of that ministry, Koop korting levitra.
  4. Order cheap levitra online, For the last 15 years our denomination has been working to bring awareness of accessibility to UCC congregations around the country. In 1995, Acquistare a buon mercato levitra, General Synod passed a resolution calling the UCC at all levels to embrace the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed by Congress in 1990. In 2005, levitra online stores, General Synod passed the Called to Wholeness in Christ resolution to encourage UCC congregations to become accessible to all, Farmacia levitra baratos, and embody the spirit of the resolution passed in 1995.

To date, very few of the over 5, köpa levitra,000 UCC churches have moved forward in response to this call. Buy generic levitra, Our congregation is poised to be on the frontier of this movement and to be a beacon for other churches.

A2A --ACCESSIBLE TO ALL -- COVENANT

The First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ Boulder, Colorado

We, as members of the First Congregational Church (UCC) in Boulder, Colorado, in recognition of our human differences and various gifts, desire to become an A2A – Accessible to All – congregation, order cheap levitra online. This Covenant expresses our intention to extend God’s extravagant welcome to all persons, seeking to understand, Mississippi MS Miss. , include, Connecticut CT Conn. , and empower people with all differing abilities and disabilities, apparent or unapparent.

The ancient practice of hospitality is presented in the Bible as a mandate for God’s people, New Jersey NJ N.J. . This mandate requires that every body be included in the work and witness of God’s people on earth. Købe levitra, The biblical vision of the Great Banquet is of all gathered at a table dedicated to serving all. Order cheap levitra online, Barriers that diminish the access of any diminish the wholeness of all.

We affirm the 2005 Disabilities Ministries resolution “Called To Wholeness in Christ,” as adopted by the 25th General Synod of the United Church of Christ on July 4, online levitra, 2005, honoring the Accessible to All mandate in the mission of the United Church of Christ. This resolution calls us to embody a philosophy of inclusion and interdependence and to support and implement the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

CALL TO ACTION

  • We pledge to offer educational opportunities to understand the implications of this covenant. This includes working with our church’s Mental Health Ministry as well as the UCC Mental Illness Network, and the UCC Disabilities Ministry.
  • We pledge to examine our own attitudes and suppositions regarding the issues of accessibility.
  • We pledge to do regular audits of our facilities and programs and continue to work toward making them more accessible to all.
  • We pledge when calling clergy and other staff to be open to hiring persons with disabilities.
  • We shall be listed in the UCC Directory as an A2A congregation and we will display the blue square with the white A indicating Accessible to All.
  • The Church Council shall appoint an Inclusion Team to implement and oversee this Covenant. We will include people on this team who have sensitivity to the challenges and joys of people who have a disability, particularly individuals who have a disability or a loved one who does, keeping in mind the slogan, “Nothing about us without us.”

  • We will intentionally partner with persons with disabilities, including but not limited to, physical disabilities, mental illnesses/brain disorders, and/or developmental disabilities. We will also work with disability groups outside the congregation to extend our hospitality and to find opportunities to be in shared mission, ministry, and advocacy together.
  • We commit to recruiting, nominating and supporting persons with disabilities to serve in leadership positions within the congregation as teachers, members of boards, congregational officers, candidates for ordained and commissioned ministry, or representatives to wider church ministries.

This vote affirms that we join in the process of always becoming ever more accessible and inclusive of all of God’s people.

Similar posts: Buy cheap aricept online. Buy aricept no prescription. Buy levitra. Buy cafergot online cheap. Buy soma without prescription. Order cafergot online cheap.
Trackbacks from: Order cheap levitra online. Order cheap levitra online. Order cheap levitra online. Order cheap levitra online. Order cheap levitra online. Order cheap levitra online.

Buy Levitra - (11/06/2009)

Buy levitra, I
I invite you to make fuller use of our five senses in worship and to infuse them into the elements of your services of worship.

In this series, Kjøpe billig levitra, each column--"'Do You Hear What I Hear?'" or "A Sound of Silence", "A Wink of Color", "Keeping in Touch", buy levitra, "A Whiff of Faith" and "Tasting the Holy"--lifts up one sense. Kaufen levitra, Its core is simple: Worship is a total experience which involves the whole person. However, worship is as complex as the depths of feeling and the holy connections it evokes, buy levitra without prescription. Woven together, Illinois IL Ill. , environment and ritual invite worship to be an active response to an active God.

I am as intrigued by this fabric of worship as by the mystery which is worship, buy levitra. I also am willing to play the fool if this brainstorming leads to your own musing and the expansion of your worship parameters.

Two life-altering physical changes color my understanding of worship, comprare levitra, bringing a fuller awareness of the role of our senses in worship. Buy levitra c.o.d., As sight diminished, I grew more finely attuned to the communication of hugs and touch and to an inner sensing of presence. Unable to sing and speak without discomfort, Minnesota MN Minn. , I listened to the sounds of worship. Buy levitra, Now exploring worship from the pew after twenty-one years in parish ministry, I admire its treasury of sensory resources. Ordering levitra online cheap, We are multi-dimensional people for whom worship happens at many levels. Our worship is both solitary and communal. It proceeds from a scent which evokes memories of early faith-growing, Kjøp Discount levitra. It commences with a chance meeting of the affirming eye of another, Order levitra online, a quiet companion on the spiritual path.

Most worshipers shrink from a barrage of polysyllabic sermons or over-simplified droning, buy levitra. Services become equally prosaic if pastoral prayers lapse into the same themes. Too much stimulation threatens to bring on chaos, levitra generic, to dissolve the order which our liturgies offer and to cancel the delicate waking of the sense of the holy. Acheter levitra discount, So, as worship leaders, we develop the art of creating spaces for the Divine mysterium, cheap levitra. We design worship to balance as a breeze refreshes a summer day. Buy levitra, II
One way to view worship is as a series of continuum. Buy levitra no rx, At first, these appear contradictory. However, halvalla levitra apteekki, worship components lift up a unifying "both/and" image. φτηνές φαρμακείο levitra, As worship leaders, we try to maintain professional symmetry between being participant and guide. Entering into the spirit of worship, Rhode Island RI R.I. , we become part of the worshiping community. We engage our congregations as partners on the worship journey, buy levitra. North Carolina NC N.C. , However, the extremes of moving into solitary worship ourselves or turning a service into a worship production separate us. We remain "present for" our congregations to assist their worship, buy cheap levitra.

When entering the sanctuary, αγοράσετε levitra, worshipers close off the external world. Respite is also a time of preparation for being in the world. Buy levitra, Worshipers enter the church as individuals. We enter disconnected and reconnect; we enter separate from and find unity; we enter alienated (in sin) and leave at-one (in forgiveness), order levitra without prescription. The order of worship guides us through this multi-leveled process. Levitra without prescription, The invocation calls God to be present. Praise--the Psalms, hymns and gifts of monies, levitra, flowers and talents--draws us away from ourselves. We remember God, buy levitra. Cheap levitra from canada, Praise focuses us upon God, yet it also brings us more fully in touch with our own presence.

Interplay of the communal and the individual shapes another continuum. Prayer, scripture and sermon imply dialogue. A time for greetings, unison responses and announcements renews horizontal relationships with neighbor. Buy levitra, While often said together, confession essentially is alone--coming to reality, admitting the weak places in our lives, asking forgiveness. We address the assurance of pardon to the whole congregation; its message speaks to individuals. That we are loved and are lovable echoes in fellowship as we name each other and reaffirm worth as persons.

Within this mystery, worship, we bond together. Worship leads us to stretch beyond ourselves. We become in touch with the incarnate God, buy levitra. Worship moves worshipers toward being one-with or atonement.

Worship provides an intricate pattern of receiving and giving with varieties as broad as minds can create and senses can absorb. Worship carries us to relief and thanksgiving, the readiness and willingness to give it--life, work, relationships--another try. Fortified and grateful, we dedicate ourselves by giving of ourselves. The conclusion of worship brings a blessing as well as a charge, both an ending and a commencement.

Reprinted with permission of the publisher, CSS Publications. From Dallas Brauninger. 1992 Series, "Come to Your Senses," Worship Environment Column in EMPHASIS: A Preaching Journal for the Parish Pastor.

Similar posts: Buy soma. Aricept over the counter. Buy levitra cod. Buy aricept c.o.d.. Buy levitra c.o.d.. Order aricept.
Trackbacks from: Buy levitra. Buy levitra. Buy levitra. Buy levitra. Buy levitra. Buy levitra.

Buy Soma Cod - (10/27/2009)

Buy soma cod, Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live(Isaiah 55:3a)

This mandate is to hear. I want to live.
What if my ears cannot hear. Soma online, My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings (Proverbs 4:20.)

I can lean toward you with full attention; but if I cannot hear you --.

Give ear, O heavens, Arizona AZ Ariz. , and I will speak (Deuteronomy 32:1a.)

Will you avoid speaking should you think I am not listening.

The hearing ear and the seeing eye -- the Lord has made them both (Proverbs 20:12.)

Who made the unseeing eye and the non-hearing ear, buy soma cod.

My ear has heard and understood it (Job 13:1b.)

I wish. Ordering soma overnight delivery, Such is a conceivable litany of the hearing-challenged. Communication is what a church is about. Consider your response upon learning that the crux of your sermon was missed. Buy soma cod, Weigh your frustration when someone fails to catch what you are saying the first or second time you speak. You tuck away the rest of the conversation for later, köpa soma online. Now ponder the patient energy required for that individual to listen to any sermon or engage in dialogue.

For a mutually fair, Cheap soma online without prescription, adequate exchange, phone hearing- challenged persons using voice relay. A human go-between transmits what you say then reads the typed response. Include the TDD number in your church directory and encourage its use, buy soma cod.

Kari greeted her pastor, Alaska AK , "I feel like a thanksgiving song. Today, Purchase soma online, I knew what was happening." One of three worshipers to benefit when our rural church of 200 members hired an interpreter for the deaf to sign twice a month, Kari added, "Now, I feel more comfortable in church, Minnesota MN Minn. . I understand the choir's songs and what you say."

As worship leaders, we can learn several words in American Sign Language. Om soma online, At minimum, engage an interpreter for family baptisms, confirmations, and weddings, ordering soma no prescription. Buy soma cod, Rather than a distraction, signing is a beautiful, enjoyable addition to the worship environment. However, few churches have such access, Soma farmacia a buon mercato, and signing is not universal among deaf persons.

We have additional resources. Use the following check list to review a video tape of your worship service:

• Do you face the congregation directly whenever speaking.
• Do you hold your head up when praying, soma online stores.
• Is your speech clear, buy soma cod.
• Do you enunciate word endings.

• Do you avoid dropping your voice at the end of sentences. Soma pills, • If male, do you keep a beard or mustache well-trimmed.
• How expressive is your face as you speak. Buy soma cod, When worship leaders optimize communication strategies, some with hearing challenges can follow worship without an interpreter. A colleague with a 55 percent hearing loss moves closer to her congregation during announcements, buy soma online without prescription. She repeats information offered.

"There is a difference between understanding what someone is saying, Osta alennus soma, " she says, "and hearing. I may hear the words, but I don't understand what they are."

If an amplification system is so faulty that even the hearing-able sigh, buy soma cod, consider how little hearing-challenged persons can participate. Older sound systems that emphasize bass tones were designed for the male voice, buy soma cod. With a good quality system having an adequate mix, Acheter soma discount, listeners need not strain both to hear and to understand.

Ask what works best. Hearing capacities vary. Encourage experimenting with seat location, comprar en línea soma. Buy soma cod, One worshiper, accustomed to sitting beneath a wall speaker, hears better one pew back. Is lighting sufficient for lip-reading. Place photocopied sermons, Soma discount, choral anthems, and other special materials on the narthex table.

Talk directly to deaf persons, not through someone else, ostaa halvalla soma. They will ask if they missed something. "Rather than instinctively slow down and speak up when I do not catch what you say," one person says, "talk to me normal, buy soma cod. Speak clearly. Buy soma without prescription, When you repeat, use the same words. I can tell a lot from facial expression. When you tell me something you are enthusiastic about, cheap soma without prescription, show me the feeling."

Hearing challenges precipitate exclusion. Buy soma cod, Include the hard-of-hearing in worship even should their speech be unclear. Duplicate parts in short scripture readings for the voice choir. παραγγείλετε online soma, Anyone with differences struggles with self-image. With a distinction as subtle as the angle of a smile, we can dismiss persons as invalid (both meanings), or we can affirm their whole being, soma without a prescription. Hearing-challenged persons might enter church feeling world-isolated; however, when no longer also worship-isolated, Vermont VT Vt. , they abandon frustration at once.

With the affirmation of her wholeness that grew from a worship environment that removes barriers, no wonder Kari emerged from worship feeling like a thanksgiving song, buy soma cod. She had experienced for herself Christ's first response to those unable to listen, actually or symbolically, with their ears: "[A]nd I would heal them" (See Matthew 13:15-16.)

Unbounded enthusiasm is borne of a similarly graceful attitude when a barrier is removed. Let us name a fifth attribute of ability, high-spirited "abandon."

Dallas A. Brauninger. First published in EMPHASIS: A Preaching Journal. 2000-2001 Series Theme: Welcome-ability. March-April, 2001, Column 5. Used with permission of the publisher.

Similar posts: Buy cheap soma online. Order levitra online cheap. Order levitra. Order cialis online cheap. Order aricept without prescription. Buy cafergot without prescription.
Trackbacks from: Buy soma cod. Buy soma cod. Buy soma cod. Buy soma cod. Buy soma cod. Buy soma cod.

Buy Soma C.o.d. - (10/21/2009)

Buy soma c.o.d., United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries, www.uccdm.org - Great site for downloading useful resources, networking, posting questions, reflections, conversations.

United Church of Christ Mental Illness Network, www.min-ucc.org -The Mental Illness Network is a network about Serious Brain Disorders. Connect to find solidarity, Utah UT , help and resources for living with Serious Brain Disorders, such as Bipolar Disorder, Mississippi MS Miss. , Schizophrenia and Depression.

American Association of People with Disabilities, www.dmdaapd.org serves the diverse community of people with disabilities, including family, North Dakota ND , friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). California CA Calif. , Interfaith Initiative has resources and ideas for congregations

National Organization on Disability, www.nod.org -works in partnership with businesses, government, and local organizations to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in society, kjøpe soma. Sponsors programs that promote employment opportunities, raise awareness and marshal resources for people with disabilities, buy soma c.o.d.. Publishes That All May Worship, and From Barriers to Bridges, Cheap soma, resources for congregations.

Bill Gaventa and The Elizabeth Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, (just Google them, the web address is complicated!), Rhode Island RI R.I. , Editor, Journal on Religion and Disability and Health, Goedkope soma apotheek, many great resources on including people with disabilities in faith communities, autism downloads, CPE program for seminarians and clergy in settings that minister to people with developmental disabilities, excellent Bibliography for religion-related disability resources, Koop korting soma. Available to speak and consult, bill.gaventa@umdnj.edu

The Arc, Buy soma online legally, www.thearc.org - The Arc is the world’s largest community based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides an array of services and support for families and individuals through more than 780 state and local chapters across the nation. Buy soma c.o.d., The Arc is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org -From its inception in 1979, Maine ME Me. , NAMI has been dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through support, education and advocacy. Soma over the counter, There are state and local NAMI chapters with excellent speakers, trainers, leaders.

Alzheimer’s Association, cheap soma, www.alz.org, The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, Kjøpe soma online, support and research. Good resources for Caregiver support and training volunteers.

The UCC Fellowship of Architects, Collaborate to help build and renovate spaces for worship, education, and mission where all are welcome, possible consultant for church accessibility projects, buy soma c.o.d.. For more information, call or write to: Violeta de Banate 216-636-3834 debanatv@ucc.org

Nth Degree, Køb billige soma, www.thenthdegree.com , “Awarewear” business founded by disabilities advocate Dan Wilkins. Ordering soma online without prescription, Excellent resource for understanding Disability Culture, finding great posters, stickers, and tee shirts, Tennessee TN Tenn. , and laughing.

Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers, Halvalla soma apteekki, www.taalliance.org, Absolute must for families who are looking for local support and ideas to secure services for children and young adults (birth-age 26). Find local or regional parent resource center. Buy soma c.o.d., Centers sponsor frequent info and support gatherings for families and self-advocates.

Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy, soma kopen, www.wrightslaw.com Parents, educators, Kentucky KY Ky. , advocates, and attorneys will find accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, buy cheap soma online, and advocacy for children with disabilities. Key info for parents struggling with school districts to secure resources for their children. Køb discount soma, ADAPT, www.adapt.org is a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom, ordering soma pills. Another great insight into civil rights activism.

Specialty Sites – Every disability has an on-line community. Comprar soma baratos, You can learn very specific information about particular disabilities, therapy regimens, relevant assistive technology, treatment and support suggestions, New Jersey NJ N.J. , and local chapters

Don’t forget “Local Heroes” – Many of these groups have local chapters and can connect you to people with disabilities to help your church on their A2A journey.

10.2009 - J.C. Hartsig for Local Church Ministries, United Church of Christ

.

Similar posts: Buy cialis no prescription. Order cheap cialis online. Order cheap levitra online. Soma over the counter. Buy cialis c.o.d.. Buy cheap cialis online.
Trackbacks from: Buy soma c.o.d.. Buy soma c.o.d.. Buy soma c.o.d.. Buy soma c.o.d.. Buy soma c.o.d.. Buy soma c.o.d..

Cafergot Over The Counter - (06/13/2009)

Cafergot over the counter, This brochure was compiled to teach us all a few myth-busters and some simple guidelines for interacting with people with disabilities

We encounter people with disabilities every day. We meet them at school, at church, in the stores, and next door. People with disabilities are family members, generic cafergot, friends and neighbors. People with disabilities are people with the same feelings and dreams as everyone else.

People with disabilities, however, Cafergot generic, are often excluded from the community because they are misunderstood. We fear the unknown and we are afraid of offending, cafergot over the counter. The greatest barrier to inclusion in our churches is not architecture, it’s our lack of knowledge and understanding.

This brochure was compiled to teach us all a few myth-busters and some simple guidelines for interacting with people with disabilities (Note: Even people with disabilities can be unsure of appropriate and helpful behavior toward people with other disabilities). Above all, remember to act in love, Kentucky KY Ky. , acceptance and with common sense. AND BE YOURSELF.

Basic Suggestions: Cafergot over the counter,  Always speak directly to persons with disabilities instead of to a companion.

 Don’t hesitate to ask if you can help. Then follow instructions. Buy cafergot without prescription,  Ask first, before assisting. People with disabilities are capable of doing most or many things for themselves and prefer to do so.

 Avoid patronizing, cafergot over the counter. Remember that they are human beings just like you.

 Ask first, before touching, ordering cafergot without prescription. People with disabilities may have difficulty with balance or may be concentrating on moving safely, an unexpected touch can disrupt their concentration.

 Don’t ignore. Cafergot over the counter, Include persons with disabilities in what you are saying and doing.

• Place more importance on inclusion than on politically correct language. Billig kaufen cafergot, At the same time, however, be aware that some people are sensitive to language. As you get to know the person, you’ll learn what they are comfortable with.

 Stress the person, buy generic cafergot, not the disability (example: a person who is blind, deaf, etc., instead of a "blind person" or a "deaf person").

 Relax, cafergot over the counter. Acheter cafergot, Talk as you would to anyone else. Don’t hesitate to use words like see, hear, and walk.

 Be considerate of the extra time it may take a person with a disability to get things done or said. Let the person set the pace, Montana MT Mont. . Cafergot over the counter,  When planning events involving people with disabilities, consider needs. If an insurmountable barrier exists, alert the coordinator ahead of time.

 Remember that guide dogs and assistance dogs are permitted by federal law to go anywhere their human partner goes – stores, restaurants, Cafergot for sale, churches, etc.

 Do not speak to or touch assistance animals – it distracts them from their work. When walking beside someone, walk on the opposite side of the animal.

• Handicap parking is reserved by law for persons who have been designated by the DMV as permanently or temporarily disabled, cafergot over the counter. Only persons with “Handicap” stickers or ID cards may use them, Kaufen cafergot. Also note – the blue stripes do not indicate another parking space – they are there to provide space for vans with ramps. Parking in the blue stripes may block someone’s access to their car.

Intellectual Disabilities

• Speak to the person in a clear voice using simple words and concrete – not abstract – concepts. Cafergot over the counter, Help her/him understand complex ideas by breaking them down onto smaller ideas.

• Avoid talking down or use baby talk to people who are intellectually challenged. φτηνές φαρμακείο cafergot, Gauge your pace and vocabulary in accordance with his/hers.

• When applicable, remember that the person is an adult and, unless you are informed otherwise, they can make their own decisions.

• People with cognitive impairments may be anxious to please and so will tell you what they think you want to hear, ordering cafergot no prescription. Keep questions neutral to elicit accurate information, cafergot over the counter. Repeat each question in a different way to verify their answers.

• It can be difficult for people with cognitive impairments to make quick decisions. Be patient and allow the person to take his/her time.

• Clear signage with pictograms can help a person who is intellectually challenged find their way around a facility. Cafergot over the counter, • Be aware that a change in the environment or routine may require a period of adjustment. Colorado CO Colo. , Hearing Disabilities

 To get the attention of a person with a hearing disability, tap them on the shoulder or wave your hand.

 Don’t shout. Speak clearly, slowly and normally.

 Never speak directly into a person’s ear, ordering cafergot online without prescription. Stand where those who lip read can get a clear view of your face, cafergot over the counter. Form your words carefully, but naturally without distortion.

 Remember that facial expressions and body language may also be interpreted by a person with a hearing disability, but don’t exaggerate. Alabama AL Ala. ,  If possible, select a quieter spot, as noise is distracting and makes speech difficult to follow. If more appropriate, communicate in writing or with gestures. Cafergot over the counter,  Avoid changing topics abruptly, as the person uses context to help understand what is being said.

Mental Illnesses

Mental illness is not a behavioral choice, Om cafergot online. It is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Largely invisible, disorders in the brain interfere with the capacity to feel, think and relate. Buy cheap cafergot online, Symptoms are varied. A person may appear sad, withdrawn, protective, preoccupied, carrying an unusual burden, or, on the other hand, may be highly energized or acting in a way unusual for the person or the situation, cafergot over the counter.

 Come along side, be present, listen. Stand with the person, as if you are looking out at the world together, price of cafergot, ready to offer help, assistance or guidance. Make introductions.

 Persons on medication may exhibit facial or bodily movements which people unaccustomed to this side effect o f drugs may not understand. Cafergot over the counter, Create a space that is calm, reassuring and respectful. Købe cafergot,  A chemical imbalance may cause behavior that is disturbing or disruptive. Engage the person kindly and quietly,

Mobility Disabilities

 When speaking with a person in a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, pull up a chair and sit down so you both meet at eye level. You’ll both avoid a stiff neck.

 A person who uses a wheelchair may be able to walk, buy cafergot overnight delivery. Honor that choice, cafergot over the counter.

 Do not, without permission, move a wheelchair, walker or crutches out of reach of the person who uses them. αγοράζουν online cafergot, They are personal property.

 Don’t lean or hang on to someone’s wheelchair. It is an extension of that person’s personal space. Cafergot over the counter,  If assisting a wheelchair user up or down a curb, ask the person using the wheelchair for directions. The person using the wheelchair knows what works best. Steep ramps can be difficult and chairs can be heavy. If you have any doubts about handling the chair safely, ordering cafergot from canada, get help.

 When giving directions to a person in a wheelchair, consider distance, weather conditions and obstacles such as stairs, Order cafergot, curbs and steep hills.

Speech Disabilities

 Try to give your full, unhurried attention to the person speaking, cafergot over the counter. Take time to appreciate the person talking. If you do not understand, ask for repetition or clarification. Do not courteously pretend to understand as you may be missing important information. Repeat what you think you understand and the person’s reaction will guide you, New Jersey NJ N.J. . Cafergot over the counter,  When necessary, ask questions that require a short answer or a nod or shake of the head.

 Remember, a person with a speech difficulty may use alternative ways of communicating, including writing, mime or computer-generated speech.

 Resist the urge to complete words or sentences for the person with a speech difficulty.

Visual Disabilities

 Very few blind people are fully blind. There are varying degrees of blindness and most have some sight.

 When greeting a person with visual disability, identify yourself, cafergot over the counter.

 If others are present, identify them also (Ex. Joe Smith is on my right and Jane Smith is on my left).

 When conversing in a group that includes a visually impaired person, use the first name of the person you are addressing.

 Be sure to let it be known when the conversation is over and to indi cate when you are moving away. Cafergot over the counter,  Explain where things are located in terms of the proximity to the person. Use the imagery of a clock to help orient the person to surroundings.

 If the person has a guide dog, ask how much room is needed for the dog.

 Ask about seating preference, then walk the person to the seat. Offer assistance when and if needed. Provide an elbow or shoulder if requested, but avoid grabbing or trying to push the person ahead of you, cafergot over the counter.

 When walking with a visually impaired person, alert them to obstacles like curbs, stairs and doors.

 When giving directions to a person with visual impairment use specifics, such as, "left a hundred feet" or "right two yards." If they are not fully blind use landmarks in addition to street names or room numbers – "turn left at the pink house" or "the third door on the left."

In Case of Medical Emergency

 Never attempt to restrain or put anything into the mouth of a person having a seizure.

 Move objects or furniture to prevent injury.

 Make the person feel comfortable after the seizure by helping the person to a comfortable place to rest and offering reassurance. Cafergot over the counter,  Since an incident could be epilepsy, a stroke, or a reaction to medication, find out if medical personnel or an informed family member is present. Call 911.

In case of emergency evacuation, assist all known persons with disabilities.

Compiled by Jacky Schofield for the Connecticut Disability Advocacy Collaborative.

Sources: United Spinal Association: Tips on Interacting with People with Disabilities; Easter Seals and Century 21 Easy Access Housing Program: Disability Etiquette; and the United Church of Christ "Accessible to All" Usher’s Guideline.

Similar posts: Buy levitra no prescription. Buy cafergot c.o.d.. Buy cafergot cod. Buy soma. Aricept over the counter. Buy levitra cod.
Trackbacks from: Cafergot over the counter. Cafergot over the counter. Cafergot over the counter. Cafergot over the counter. Cafergot over the counter. Cafergot over the counter.

The Accessible to All (A2A) Study Guide with Resources for Churches, developed and edited by the Rev. Jo Clare Hartsig, can be read or downloaded by clicking Study Guide. above.

DIA – CT 2008 - (02/24/2009)

Disabilities Ministries Team Connecticut Conference 2008 Activity The team met in New Haven on April 25, 2008. In attendance were Jacky Schofield, Ann Marino and Rev. Karen Jodice. Issues Discussed: 1. Preparations for an information table to be set up at the upcoming Annual Conference Spring Meeting. • To have an A2A poster made • To obtain a tri-fold stand for the poster • To make copies of several documents for the table (A2A Guide for Ushers, A2A Worship Guidelines, a sign-up sheet for people interested in working on the team, “Anybody, Everybody, Christ’s Body” – A2A brochure, several flyers from the UCC Mental Illness Network). 2. The need to grow our team and ways in which it may be accomplished. 3. Goal of applying for official status as a Ministry Team within the Connecticut Conference in September. 4. Most efficient way to communicate with and visit churches within the Connecticut Conference that have worked to achieve accessibility and to disseminate information abut A2A. May 1. An information table on Disability Ministry and A2A was set up at the Conference Annual Spring Meeting on May 10, 2008. The table was staffed alternately by team members and a good number of people stopped for information and pamphlets, but only two people expressed interest in working on our team. We followed up with both people and Their contact information has been retained for future reference. 2. Two articles on the team and A2A were published by the Conference. One in the “Conference Call” newsletter and One on the Conference website “ConnnTact.” Visit at http://www.ctucc.org. Go to NEWS, ConnTact, Archives, June The team met in New Haven on June 5, 2008. In attendance were Jacky Schofield and Rev. Karen Jodice. Issues Discussed: 1. The response to the sign-up sheet at the Spring Meeting. • Both interested parties had been contacted and their numbers kept for future reference. 2. How best to locate and contact potential new team members from around the Conference. • We discussed the possibility of sending out a letter to all pastors and/or Regional Ministers asking for names of people who may be interested in joining the team. 3. What would be the most efficient way to locate and visit churches that have already done the most towards full accessibility? • The possibility of directly contacting and visiting local churches, or • Asking Regional Ministers to assist in targeting specific churches. Meeting held in New Haven on June 18, 2008. In attendance were Ann Marino and Rev. Karen Jodice. Issues Discussed: 1. Using their knowledge of local churches and their members, they finalized plans to contact Regional Ministers to recruit a diverse core team. 2. The plan also included a way to elicit information about churches that have already taken steps to welcome and embrace members with disabilities. These churches would be recognized at the Fall conference Meeting. • Ann Marino will compose a letter to all Regional Ministers asking for their help in locating potential team members as well as identifying local churches that have taken steps toward accessibility. July July 31 Meeting In attendance: Ann Marino, Jacky Schofield, Karen Jodice Issues Discussed: 1. Letter sent to Regional Ministers a. Plan to follow up by phone approximately the third week in August. 2. Next step (back-up plan) will be to send email through FIDO to all local churches/pastors. a. What accommodations have the churches made for people with disabilities. b. Asking for help in finding people interested in working on the committee. 3. Discussed plans for upcoming Annual Fall Conference Meeting. a. We would confirm that we could speak at the meeting b. How to execute our plan to “hold-up” churches that had already made accommodations for people with disabilities (from answers to our emails). i. Post names of churches at our display table ii. Verbally acknowledge during our time to speak August No meeting held. Our letter to the Regional Ministers had little success. We decided to go ahead with our back-up plan to send a letter to all local churches in the Conference. September September 18 Meeting In Attendance: Ann Marino, Karen Jodice, Jacky Schofield Items Discussed: 1. Responses from applicants for the team 2. Discussed plan for the Annual Fall Conference Meeting 3. Discussed application for Conference standing as a ministry team. a. Reviewed draft of Mission Statement b. Jacky Schofield will be voting delegate October Connecticut Conference Annual Fall Meeting, October 18 1. Two minute “speak-out” a. Invite churches to consider becoming A2A b. “Hold-up” some of the churches that responded to our email (regarding accommodations they had already made) so that we could all celebrate together the work done so far toward accessibility c. Set up a display table with A2A brochures and a flyer with our contact information. d. Placed a tri-fold screen on the display table with our A2A poster and the names of all the churches that responded to our emails. November No meeting Received official recognition from the Connecticut Conference Board of Directors as The Disabilities Ministries Team of the Connecticut Conference. December No meeting Began contacting new volunteers for the team and scheduling a January meeting.

Access Manual for Worship - (02/21/2009)

Access to Worship This access guide is a brief resource, designed to alert UCC Churches, Conferences, camps, and other UCC organizations to the most commonly over looked accessibility issues. Please consult this document before you begin planning your next worship experience, annual meeting, camp location or hospitality training. Using the basic accessibility principles presented here will enable people with disabilities to fully participate in the life of their church. Information in this guide is based on the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) passed in 1990. Though the federal guidelines exempt religious organizations from compliance, we believe that faith communities such as the UCC are called by a higher authority to create environments “accessible to all”, thus the UCC initiative A2A. In addition, some states, counties and cities have passed local laws requiring religious organizations to comply. Since such local laws would provide greater accessibility than the federal law, they take precedence, requiring faith communities to follow them. California is an example of a state which does mandate that religious organizations follow the same accessibility requirements as all other businesses. Exerpt from: A History of Disability Advocacy in the United Church of Christ by Albert A. Herzog, Jr.:--> The UCC is one of several mainline Protestant denominations, which in the late 1970’s, embraced a national movement which was to have profound impact on American society. The culmination of this movement came when President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Two ordained clergy, Harold H. Wilke and Virginia Kreyer, led the disability movement within the UCC. Born with no arms, Wilke was the founder and director of the Healing Community, graduate of many distinguished schools of higher education, chaplain, administrator, and pastor. Born with cerebral palsy, Kreyer was ordained in the American Baptist Church. She served several years as a member of the professional staff to the local affiliate of the United Cerebral Palsy Association. After some time, she joined a local UCC. Kreyer approached the Metropolitan Association requesting to have her credentials recognized. The officials were interested but required that Ms. Kreyer have a ministry to which she could be assigned. Subsequently, the Association suggested she assume the leadership for the Task Force on Exceptional People which she was ultimately to initiate and direct. In 1976, this task force decided to present a resolution to the New York Conference. The resolution arrived late and was not considered until its last session. It was only after Ms. Kreyer took the floor and gave an impassioned speech in support of the resolution that The Conference responded by passing it unanimously and referred it to the next General Synod. On Monday, July 4, 1977, the Eleventh General Synod adopted the resolution entitled “The Church and the Handicapped.” Both Kreyer and Wilke gave speeches in favor of the action. To implement this General Synod resolution, the Advisory Committee on the Church and the Handicapped was formed. This body emerged through name changes to the present United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries, (UCCDM,) is a fully recognized voting member of the Executive Council, and has representation on each of the covenanted ministry boards. In 1992, the UCCDM supported the development of the Mental Illness Network (MIN). The UCC DM and MIN are shaped today by four primary General Synod resolutions: 1995 - Embrace the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and hold themselves morally bound by the provisions of this act. · 1999 - The Calling of Clergy with Disabilities · 1999 - Calling the People of God to Justice for Persons with Serious Mental Illnesses (Brain Disorders) · 2005 - To wholeness in Christ : “The Minnesota Conference calls on United Church of Christ Conferences, Associations, congregations, seminaries, campus ministries and colleges, camps, covenanted ministries and all other UCC organizations to become accessible to all; to embody a philosophy of inclusion and interdependence; and to support and implement the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990… Not ministry "to" or "for" people with disabilities but ministry "with" and "by" people with disabilities. · Establish Conference level Inclusion Task Forces charged with needs assessment, planning, and education; · Continue to make improvements in UCC buildings and facilities to achieve full physical accessibility; · Encourage local churches to establish Inclusion Committees to help conduct any accessibility needs studies. · Seek out and befriend mentors in the disabilities community, keeping in mind the slogan, "Nothing about us without us". · Consider ways to invite/include people with disabilities to participate in and lead worship services and other programming. · Call clergy with disabilities and employ staff with disabilities. · Become advocates for people with disabilities. Contact local advocacy groups for information and expertise. · Utilize study/action process designed by the UCC Disabilities Ministries called "Any Body, Everybody, Christ's Body" to become a congregation that is accessible to all (A2A). · Support and utilize UCC Disabilities Ministries resources. So be it. “Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” I Peter 4.8-11 In many of our UCC congregations there has been a study and affirmation process about matters of inclusion in the life and witness of the people of God. Some of us belong to churches designated as Just Peace, Whole Earth, Restorative Justice, and Open and Affirming congregations. These designations let people with a particular interest or identity know that they are welcome and acknowledged in this house of God. Another sign of welcome is the well known “wheelie” icon that has become an international visual symbol for “handicapped access”. Our churches have these bright blue emblems on parking places, bathrooms, attached to our church signage, in newspaper ads, and printed in our brochures and bulletins. We realize that there has been excellent work done in many places to get us in the doors, but now what? What about those of us with so-called “hidden” disabilities who can’t easily follow the patterns of the worship service? What about the teenager, who is resisting the intimacy of a small confirmation class because he is ashamed of his recent hospitalization for depression? Can we take some of the mystery out of pot-lucks so we know if the food we eat will trigger an allergic reaction? Can we teach the Greeters to go ahead and shake our hands, even though we don’t have much strength to grasp them? Shouldn’t our Search Committee consider a candidate who uses a wheelchair and worry about pulpit access later? There are many voices, and many questions coming from people with disabilities who are already part of our congregational life. There are many more who stopped trying. The vast majority of adults with disabilities are not part of any faith community. We have some work to do! Consult with people who have mobility, sensory, psychiatric, and intellectual disabilities themselves. They are the best source for inclusion information. Check with a local disability organization such as a Center for Independent Living. They would be happy to answer questions you might have about a location under consideration for a meeting or conference. Ask which restaurants, entertainment venues, historic sites, etc. offer the best access. Include this information in the meeting/conference packet given to participants. Learn where and how many wheelchair accessible vans/taxis are available for use in the city. Check pricing. Try to imagine the barriers that people with disabilities might encounter at the event. Think through the program and walk through the site. If more than one site is being used, drive or walk the route between sites to make sure that no barriers have been overlooked. Make sure there is an area on the registration form that allows the person to indicate needed accommodations. When accommodations are requested, the registrant should be contacted to gather more information. MOBILITY: ramps to buildings and lectern; elevators, family bathroom for people with a personal assistant; accessible bathroom/roll-in shower; lift equipped van or bus; turning ratios in dining rooms; more space between tables; service animal relief area; volunteer assistants. DEAF/HARD OF HEARING: note taker; assistive listening devices; real-time captioning; closed/open captioned TV; sign language interpreter; TTY; transcript; flashing fire alarm. VISION: large print materials; Braille; material on tape/CD; fire alarm with sound; room for dog guide; outside area for animal relief; volunteer audio describers; guides. MULTIPLE CHEMICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY: no fluorescent lights; no scented candles, soaps, air fresheners; request that participants wear no fragrances or scented products. INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES: have companions available; presentations addressing visual, audio and kinesthetic learning styles; express abstract concepts in a concrete manner; consult with friends and family. MENTAL DISORDERS: No stigmatizing or stereotyping language; accurate and appropriate use of terms such as mental illness, depression schizophrenia, trauma, addiction; no alcohol at events; active outreach for participants through groups such as Pathways to Promise, NAMI Faithnet etc.; small, informal peer support opportunities for individuals and family members; quiet, low stimulus space for refreshment and renewal; attention to the impact of conference program content – presentations, action items, resolutions and initiatives. When assessing the accessibility of a facility, check to see that: PARKING: Lots at all buildings are well lit. Parking spaces are marked and reserved for people with disabilities. Minimum number of accessible parking spaces TOTAL PARKING REQUIRED MINIMUM NUMBER IN LOT OF ACCESSIBLE SPACES 1to 25 1 26 to 50 2 51 to 75 3 76 to 100 4 101 to 150 5 151 to 200 6 201 to 300 7 301 to 400 8 401 to 500 9 501 to 1000 2 percent of total 1001 and over 20, plus 1 for each 100 over 1000 Minimum width for an accessible parking space: 8 feet plus a 5 foot access aisle for cars and 8 feet plus an 8 foot access aisle for lift-equipped vans. This will allow a person to unload a wheelchair and to transfer into it from the vehicle. An ACCESSIBLE ROUTE with curb cuts exists from the parking lot to the accessible entrance. RAMPS: -Extend 12” for every 1”of rise, e.g., a 4”step would need a 48” ramp. -Have a minimum width of 36”. -Are equipped with handrails if longer than 6 ft. -Have 60” square level landings at the top and bottom of the ramp ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCES: Clearly marked by the international symbol of accessibility. DOORS: DOORWAYS have clear opening of 32”. DOORS are automatic, or have levers or push handles. CORRIDORS are a min. 36 “ wide; 60” wide is preferred if there is two-way traffic. Wall mounted objects do not project into accessible route/path more than 4”. INSIDE FACILITIES: Check to make sure that: COUNTER/REGISTRATION TABLES are between 28” and 34” high. SIGNAGE for permanent rooms (hotel rooms, restrooms, etc.) have Braille and raised letters. DRINKING FOUNTAINS, at least one on every floor in every building, are wheelchair accessible, with spouts no more than 36” from the floor. If not, mount a supply of paper cups next to the fountain. TELEPHONES are available in an accessible area of all buildings and are at an appropriate height for wheelchairs, with controls no higher than 48’” if a person must reach forward, or 54” if a person may approach and reach from the side. Phones have a volume control. TTY’s, if available, are located in the same area as other ones. ELEVATORS/WHEELCHAIR LIFTS are available if more than one floor in any building is used. Elevators or liftcabs are large enough to accommodate a wheelchair, at least 54” deep (from door to back of elevator), and 68” wide. Call buttons and panel buttons are within reach of a wheelchair user (42” above the floor) and in Braille. Elevators have an audible tone indicating up or down movement. STAIRS have handrails in all buildings. ALARMS have flashing lights as well as sound. EXITS with ramps are available in case of fire. Ideally, at least one WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE RESTROOM is available to event participants. There are grab bars along one side of and in back of the accessible toilet. There is a turning space of at least 5’x5’ in the restroom stalls. The sink has 29” clearance from the floor to the bottom of the sink. Hot water pipes are wrapped. Towel dispensers are no higher than 40” from the floor. When planning, consider the following: Events with multiple sites: when more than one building is being used for an event, accessible transportation between sites may be needed. SERVICE ANIMALS: It is the law that service animals may accompany a person with a disability. Relief areas need to be available near the meeting site (close by, not across busy streets or traffic lanes). ACCESSIBLE SLEEPING ROOMS: Ask how many rooms there are with roll-in showers, rooms with grab bars in the bathrooms, shower chairs available if needed. Visual alarms and indicators and TTY’s should be available for use in rooms. For participants who have a vision loss or who are blind, provide a guide to explain the site layout and walk them through the hotel and their rooms. Check rooms for environmental sensitivity: no fluorescent lights, non-smoking. DIETARY: Check with food service to insure that dietary restrictions are accommodated. Check to see if rooms can have a refrigerator. If not, where can medications be stored? Signage: add clear and simple signs for directions and room designations. Dining: avoid buffet lines or provide assistance with carrying food. Check for large print/Braille menus, or have someone available to read them if needed. Tables: Height should be between 28” and 34” above the floor Have fewer spaces available at some tables to allow for wheelchair users, extra legroom, crutches, walkers, braces, casts, or service animals. Seating must be integrated; not in a separate location. Provide wider aisles between tables to accommodate people with disabilities using mobility devices. Meeting Rooms: Welcome each attendee. Do not put anyone on the spot. At the same time, ensure that assistance is available. Make sure that rooms are well lit. Design exhibits so that they may be touched or heard. Leave adequate wheelchair space to maneuver around and through the exhibits. Flooring needs to be firm and slip resistant to make maneuvering easier and less tiring. Presenters: Speaker area needs to be accessible to accommodate those with disabilities. Have materials in alternative formats if requested: Braille, CD, audiotape or large print. Video materials should have open captioning and audio description. If audio description is not included in video, provide an audio describer. If captioning is not available, provide a transcript. If theater, role-plays, sight gags, significant objects are used, provide an audio describer. If song lyrics, schedules, etc. are displayed on a screen, provide alternative formats or an audio describer. Power Point print-outs need to be legible, with large print (18 point in black on off-white paper) and sharp, contrasting colors. All materials need to be delivered orally as well as in written form. If a sign language interpreter has been requested, you will need 1 interpreter if the meeting is 2 hours or less. If it is longer, you will need 2 interpreters who will trade interpreting duties throughout the meeting. Place the interpreter as close to the speaker as possible. When there are multiple speakers sitting at a table, place the interpreter across from the person(s) who is (are) deaf or hard of hearing. Seat participants using a sign language interpreter near the front. Make sure that the interpreter can be easily seen by the participants who requested them. Use real time captioning if requested. Use a good quality sound system. Make available assistive listening devices for participants who are hard of hearing. Eliminate background noise to the greatest extent possible. Inclusion is the foundation of the house. It is not a guarantee, but rather a precondition for the growth and development of full and healthy human beings. A list of Illustrations in this guide: Illustrations and graphics are scattered throughout this guide; they are used for both decoration and explanation of access. Listed below are those which illustrate access: Page 5: picture of a wheelchair- accessible van Page 6: decorative graphic containing many access symbols (Braille, ASL, TTY, etc.) Page 7: picture of parking spaces and access aisles, includes measurements Page 8: picture of basic features of an accessible route, includes measurements Page 9: picture of minimum door width; one of the clear space needed to avoid protruding objects, and another of an accessible drinking fountain. All pictures on this page include measurements Page 10: picture of two phones; one at wheelchair height, the other a TTY Page 11: picture of typical lavatory problems and their solutions, includes some measurements Page 12: picture of a standard accessible bathroom stall, includes measurements Page 15: symbol used for assistive listening device In addition, there are two graphics used several time in this guide. One is the A2A logo, which consists of two capital A’s with the letter 2 between them, and the words “Accessible to All” underneath them. The other graphic shows two worshippers holding hands, facing each other beneath a cross. One kneels and the other uses a wheelchair; their heads are at equal heights. A large heart encompasses the worshipers and the cross. Contact United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries for assistance. Call toll free 1-866-822-8224. Document compiled by Rev. Denise Thompson
In a recent release, Gordon Gilles, President of the United Church of Christ Cornerstone announced: For the first time in our history the loan portfolio has exceeded $50,000,000! As of December 31, 2008, the $51,157,910.94 loan portfolio consists of 174 loans which are spread among 33 of our 38 Conferences. From our humble beginning in September, 1993 through 2008 much has been accomplished. The United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries refers churches to Cornerstone as a potential financial resource when planning to build or adapt a building to become accessible and welcoming to all people. Such inclusion is a goal of the denomination as mandated by the accessibiity resolution, "Becoming an Accessible to All," accepted by the 2005 General Synod. Congratulations Cornerstone Fund and Thank You.
Written by Gary Presley, Special to The Washington Post, and borrowed (because it is too good to miss) for uccdm.org. Tuesday, December 2, 2008; Page HE06 This month I began my 50th year of riding a wheelchair through life. In case you're wondering, everything is all right down here. That's what I found myself thinking recently as I sailed through a shopping mall. "Look, Mikey! It's magic!" a tiny girl exclaimed to an even tinier boy as she spotted me. It was a reminder that most of the creatures I greet at eye level are either small children or large dogs, two of the better examples of God's work. What that little girl believed about my power wheelchair was true for her and true for me. It is a magical thing. This one, my seventh, I call Little Red. She is a sturdy tool, very different from the fragile roll-about I came home with from the rehabilitation center five decades ago, having been left nearly quadriplegic by polio. Little Red is 10 years old, chipped and nicked and bent, but so powerful, so reliable, that the phrase "confined to a wheelchair" is not only demeaning but inaccurate. The wheelchair is freedom. Over the years, we have become one, Little Red and I: cyborg. After all this time, she seems to move in response to my simplest wish -- cradling me sweetly, all power and promise, rolling me toward another adventure. Yes, everything is all right down here, "boob-high to the world," as my wife calls the place I occupy. Of course, like almost everyone else, I ache in spots I didn't 20 or 30 years ago, and I'm always a little short of money. But I have no reason to complain. I find the world growing a little friendlier each day. Architects and builders are talking about universal design, a concept that could turn a visit to a friend's house into something other than a ramp-toting expedition. President Bush signed the ADA Amendments Act, which clarifies and broadens the definition of disability to better protect people with disabilities from employment discrimination. We're making headway in corporate America, in entertainment and in politics: more visible and accepted, a few more of us productively employed. On the other hand, maybe life has always been good down here, at least for me, and I have been slow to recognize it. Maybe it took me too long to understand Mr. Lincoln's opinion that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." So if you see me rolling through your life, smile. I'll smile in return. Good karma, right? Don't be a boor. Don't lean over me and ask, "What's wrong with you?" Only small children can ask that question and get a fair answer from me, one I try to fit to their level of understanding. Their mothers are sometimes embarrassed, but I don't mind. I smile and open the child's eyes to the magic in my world. For people who should know better, who see me as an object of curiosity, I have nothing to offer but a bland smile. I suppose I could explain that I am more like you than you want me to be: an embodiment of the secret fear that the world often spins out of control. But you need to discover that for yourself. Do one more thing for me. Forget pity. I hate pity. Put your pity into words, and you will fracture someone's carefully crafted self-image. I defend my own self-image by refusing to be angered if I sniff pity coming my way. Letting go of anger is one more in the never-ending series of riding lessons I've learned over the years. Don't pity me, and don't worry about me. Of course, like most people with mobility impairments, I will always appreciate more curb cuts and ramps, more accessible bathrooms and automatic doors, uncluttered store aisles, tables with knee clearance in restaurants, and especially more houses, condominiums and apartments built for accessibility. Hey, I even appreciate simple little courtesies like not jumping up and blocking my view when the Eagles are in concert. I may be sitting down, but I intend to dance through life until hell freezes over. And like other people who have evolved from being "an invalid confined to a wheelchair" to a man advocating for such important issues as MiCASSA (the Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports Act), as I have done for the past 10 years, I cannot forget that people with disabilities are among the last awaiting full integration into society. I am one of a group once segregated by circumstance. That's the significance of my story: that people with disabilities have made great progress in the last generation, and even though there's much left to do, especially in the realm of employment, things continue to change for the better. But for me, rest assured: Everything is all right down here. Gary Presley is the author of "Seven Wheelchairs: A Life Beyond Polio" (University of Iowa Press). Comments: health@washpost.com. Special to The Washington Post, and borrowed (because it is too good to miss) for uccdm.org. Tuesday, December 2, 2008; Page HE06
Doxology Poem The following Poem/Psalm appeared in Wings, Winter 2008 edition. Wings is a Disability Ministry publication within the United Methodist tradition. DOXOLOGY Praise the Lord Praise God in the mighty firmament Praise God for mighty deeds Praise God with withered hands And wooden legs Praise God with expressive bodies Used as instruments For those who cannot hear Praise the Lord with voices that struggle to speak With toes that work as hands With hands that reach out among the doubters To touch and hold and heal Praise the Lord for powerful gifts Bestowed on each of us Praise God for the audio-loop and wheelchair Braille and large print Praise God for ramps and lifts Tape recorders and computers Praise God for dogs that hear And see for others Praise God for doors that begin to open To the light of ability Amid the shadows Of prejudice And preconceived notions About perfection and service Let all of us who live and breathe Use everything we have and everything we are In praising God To the glory of our Lord Inclusion Sunday is the second Sunday of October. The day marks the beginningof Disabilities Awareness Week. [Adapted from the original produced by the Task Force Ministry on Persons with Handicapping Conditions of the California-Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church]
Guidelines for Church Ushers is provided by the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries with Mental Illnesses Ministries to assist churches in becoming a truly inclusive body, accessible to all.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW . . .

We all know that persons with disabilities and their families should be integrated into the life of the church. We want to be welcoming in every way. However, we often do not know what to do and fear doing the wrong thing. Thus we sometimes appear to be unwelcoming. In reality, we are just uncertain. Many people with disabilities have hidden or invisible disabilities. While we may not be aware of this, we might be alert to people asking for help in order to be welcomed into our churches. This brochure is designed to assist ushers and other church leaders to offer hospitality to all persons with disabilities.

Basic Suggestions:

  • Always speak directly to persons with a disability instead of to a companion.
  • Don’t hesitate to ask if you can help. Then follow instructions.
  • Whenever possible, seat persons with a disability with other family or friends.
  • Don’t ignore. Include persons with disabilities in what you are saying and doing.
  • Stress the person, not the disability (example: a person who is blind, deaf, etc., instead of a disabled person).
  • Talk as you would to anyone else. Don’t hesitate to use words like see, hear, and walk.
  • Ask a person with a disability to usher, greet or serve on a committee.

Developmental Disabilities

  • Some congregational members may be uncomfortable interacting with people who have developmental disabilities. Ask ahead of time who would like to share a hymnal, explain the service, or sit with the person at coffee hour or lunch. Provide training for such individuals in advance.
  • Always offer a bulletin. Then the person has the right to accept or decline the offer.

Hearing Disabilities

  • Speak clearly, slowly and normally.
  • If your church has assistive listening devices, show persons where they are and how to use them. Before the service, check the devices to be certain they are in working order.
  • Never speak directly into a person’s ear. Stand where those who lip read can get a clear view of your face. Form your words carefully, but naturally without distortion. If possible, select a more quiet spot as noise is distracting and makes speech difficult to follow. If more appropriate, communicate in writing or with gestures.
  • Avoid changing topics abruptly as the person uses context to help understand what is being said.
  • Try to seat persons with hearing difficulty in clear view of the pulpit and the sign language interpreter, if the latter is present. Both should be in one clear view for speaking and gesturing cues as well as for the actual interpreting.

Mental Illnesses

The word "mental" itself is stigmatizing. Hereafter we will use brain illnesses -- commonly known as mental illnesses. Largely invisible, disorders in the brain interfere with the capacity to feel, think and relate. The symptoms of brain illness are varied. A person may appear sad, withdrawn, protective, preoccupied, carrying an unusual burden, or, on the other hand, may be highly energized or acting in a way unusual for the person or the situation.
  • Treat persons with brain disorders and the families just as you do any other member of the Body of Christ. Offer the hospitality of a simple welcome and introduce yourself.
  • Come along side, be present, listen. Stand with the person, as if you are looking out at the world together, ready to offer help, assistance or guidance. Accompany the person to a seat with or near someone who is supportive, understanding and companionable. Make introductions.
  • Persons on medication for a brain illness may exhibit facial or bodily movements which people unaccustomed to this side effect of drugs may not understand. Create a space that is calm, reassuring and respectful.
  • A brain disorder may cause behavior that is disturbing or disruptive. As with any episode of illness, find one or two knowledgeable members to assist by engaging the person kindly and quietly, inviting and accompanying the individual to a less active area of your church where appropriate care and help can be better provided. A good program which offers information about mental illness is helpful.

Mobility Disabilities

  • A person who uses a wheelchair may be able to walk and may prefer to use a seat in the pew. Honor that choice. If possible, provide a few shortened pews so persons using a wheelchair can sit with and feel a welcome part of the congregation. Note that standing is a matter of choice.
  • Do not, without permission, move a wheelchair, walker or crutches out of reach of the person who uses them. They are personal property.
  • If assisting a wheelchair user up or down a curb, ask the person using the wheelchair for directions. The person using the wheelchair knows what works best. Steep ramps can be difficult and chairs heavy. If you have any doubts about handling the chair safely, get help.

Speech Disabilities

  • Try to give your full, unhurried attention to a person speaking. Take time to appreciate the person talking. If you do not understand, ask for repetition or clarification. Do not courteously pretend to understand as you may be missing important information.
  • Remember, a person with a speech difficulty may use alternative ways of communicating, including writing, mime or computer-generated speech.
  • Resist the urge to complete words or sentences for the person with a speech difficulty.

Visual Disabilities

  • When greeting a person with visual disability, identify yourself and your role as usher or greeter.
  • Explain where things are located in terms of the person. Use the imagery of a clock to help orient the person to surroundings (Example: The choir is seated about 50 feet in front of you at 2 o’clock).
  • Explain the order for worship if the person is unfamiliar with your church. Ask a member to join a person coming alone so specific worship instructions can be offered.
  • If the person has a guide dog, ask how much room is needed for the dog.
  • Always offer a bulletin. Make sure large print bulletins are available. If possible, offer a Braille or large-print hymnal. Offer to read aloud the bulletin if it is not available in an alternative form.
  • Ask about seating preference then walk the person to the seat. Offer assistance when and if needed. Provide an elbow or shoulder if requested, but avoid grabbing or trying to push the person ahead of you.

In Case of Medical Emergency

  • Never attempt to restrain or put anything into the mouth of a person having a seizure.
  • Move objects or furniture to prevent injury.
  • Make the person feel comfortable after the seizure by helping the person to a comfortable place to rest and offering reassurance.
  • Since an incident could be epilepsy, a stroke, or a reaction to medication, find out if medical personnel or an informed family member is present. Call 911. One usher should call immediately while another stays with the person.
  • In case of emergency evacuation, assist all known persons with disabilities.

For further information please contact:

Michelle Hintz, UCCDM 866-822-8224, ext 3845 Email: hintzm@ucc.org www.uccdm.org United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministry C/O Parish Life and Leadership 700 Prospect Avenue East Cleveland, OH 44115 1-866-822-8224 x3845

Word Choice Matters - (09/27/2007)

Gracious Invitation to worship takes many forms. Word choice in the presentation of options in some congregations is particularly graceful, as noted in a bulletin from one church we visited during recent travel: "As a courtesy to those with allergies, please refrain from wearing perfumes and fragrances to church events that might compromise the health of others." "*If you are able to do so comfortably, please stand at these times in the service." "Units are available to provide additional sound amplification. These units are available in the narthex and can be used anywhere in the sanctuary. Contact an usher if you have questions. Please return the unit following the service." db, web team
Designing for People with Partial Sight and Color Deficiencies by Aries Arditi, PhD This web page contains three basic guidelines for making effective color choices that work for nearly everyone. Following the guidelines are explanations of the three perceptual attributes of color -- hue, lightness and saturation -- as they are used by vision scientists. To read full article go to
ACCESS SUNDAY "Not everybody has a minister like Diana," said 13-year-old Scott Pigsley of Lincoln, NE. "Things like this tell other wheelchair-users we won't banish you from our church." "This" was Northeast UCC's calling an interim minister with post-polio syndrome. "This" meant rearranging chancel space to accept a replacement ramp that honors the decade-old Americans with Disabilities Act code of no more than one inch of height per foot of run. It frees Scott, who has spina bifida, to light candles with friends. It invites Diana Coberly into the chancel. Five General Synod Disabilities Ministries Resolutions since 1977, including "The Calling of Clergy with Disabilities" (1999 GS), have nudged older churches to erase physical and attitudinal barriers. Robert Wandel, UCC Fellowship of Architects moderator said, "The issue of opening chancels goes beyond voluntary compliance with public access laws to how churches design for inclusion. Inclusion is a Christian question for churches to address." Creative changes at 140-member First Congregational of Alameda tamed eleven levels of the California landmark without disturbing its integrity. Century-old St. Mary's UCC in Westminster, MD, converted a closet to bypass a step, rail, three-step chancel. As at Northeast, trustee Bill Enright's ramp for the wedding of a wheelchair-using member parallels the right chancel arm of Central Congregational in Dallas. "A ramp is an up-front commitment," Minnesota minister Robert Baggott said. "The deeper commitment is accessibility of the soul." Rather than underscore differences that remind temporarily able-bodied persons of their vulnerability, he said a ramp strengthens human connections. "A congregation sees your disability, so we make changes to create a space physically possible for you. We look beyond your challenge to celebrate what is possible with you." God saw beyond Moses' disabilities to call him to lead. Moses' rebuttal, "O my Lord, please send someone else," once couched most churches' response when asked to consider physically-challenged clergy. Now, some hear God's promise, "Go, I will teach you what you shall do....You shall serve" (Exodus 4:1-13). Ongoing commitment to social justice defines the United Church of Gainesville, FL. An informed accessibility committee was key to the architecturally integrated ramp that sheaths its three, broad chancel steps. "This middle class congregation struggles to balance budget," said Pastor Larry Reimer, "yet meets access needs members bring." The 220-member Lazarus UCC, Lineboro, MD, wanted to incorporate five bell and voice choirs into its 1908-built chancel. After six years, the committee overcame seating, faulty underpinning, and flexible-use obstacles to generate a unique, three-level area that offers wheelchair-using families abundant space for reading Scripture or ringing choir bells. Member gifts plus a Development Commission Grant from the Catoctin Association funded the renovation. The aim of calling clergy with disabilities, said Coberly, is to reap the benefits of the minister's abilities. "The change which allows persons with disabilities to participate fully in the life of a church happens only once it is in people's hearts." A minister with disabilities who has served UCC churches since 1969, the Rev. Dr. Dallas Brauninger is a Nebraska Conference Disabilities Ministries Task Force member.
This guide provides tips on what to look for if you want your meeting to be fully accessible to all people. Go to .
Refer in particular to Chapter 1 Terms for God Chapter 2 Other Religious Terms Chapter 3 Emerging Terms and Bias-Free Usage Chapter 4 Trademarks and Brand Names Chapter 5 Alphabetized Word List See entire style sheet at From ELCA Publishing Standards Manual copyright (c) 2003 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Reproduced by permission of Augsburg Fortress.
The other day, as my dog guide and I walked to the mail drop box, we passed three playing children. One piped up, "Are you the blind lady?" Ignoring an older girl's attempt to shush him, I said, "Yes, I'm blind, and I'm left-handed, too." "So am I," another child said. We discovered that in our little gathering were two left-handers, two right-handers, and one right-pawed. Naturally curious, children are great models for being themselves among those with disabilities. Most people with disabilities will not mind answering a child's question. Children scolded by a parent for asking or a parent's apologizing for children or moving them away from a person with a disability can make children think there is something "bad" or wrong about having a disability. It can also teach children that something is bad about themselves being curious. Sometimes, a parent or adult friend can bridge a conversation, saying "We were wondering about that tool you are wearing on your hand." 1. Remember that people with disabilities are people first like anyone else. The disability is only one part of who the person is. The rest of the conversation will take care of itself. Besides, you will avoid the embarrassing pause while puzzling about current "politically correct" words. Just use ordinary language, rather than stumble for other words to compensate for "see" or "hear." 2. When welcoming a person at church, shake whatever the person offers: a hand, foot, prosthesis, or hook. It is the greeting and contact that count. 3. When starting a conversation with a person with severe loss vision, speak the person's name as a clue to whom the conversation is directed. Identify not only yourself, but also any others with you. 4. Relax. If you do not know what to do or say, allow the person who has a disability to help put you at ease. Explore mutual interests in friendly ways. The person likely has many interests besides those connected with the disability. 5. Give whole, unhurried attention to the person who has difficulty speaking. Keep your manner encouraging rather than ~correcting. Rather than talk for the person, give help when needed. When necessary, ask questions that require short answers, a nod, or a shake of the head. 6. If a person uses a wheelchair, sit down, if possible, so that you are both at eye level. 7. Speak clearly and slowly to the person who has a hearing impairment or other problem in understanding. To make it easier for the person to read your lips, face the person, keep your hands away from your mouth, and speak normally. Remember that people who are deaf count on facial expressions and gestures for communication. 8. Treat adults as adults. Call the person by first name only when the familiarity is extended to all others present. Your welcoming suggestions are always welcome. Reading the Signs is a can-do forum about accessibility for the whole church family edited by the Rev. Dee Brauninger, First Congregational UCC, Burwell, Nebraska
Sometimes it takes awhile for the hyphen to disappear. Two words expressing a unit idea first accept a hyphen then release it to form a compound word. Basket and ball were once separate words that became basket-ball, then basketball. At a wedding dinner, the curiosity of a young boy prompted him to pull up a chair. He was full of wanting to hear about my dog guide, I thought. After some dog talk, he paused. "Then, you're not afraid of the dark," he said with the relieved voice of one who might be. "I'm not afraid of the dark with Leader Dog Treasure," I said, Both of us knew we had gotten rid of the hyphen, and he went off with a friend. Later, wanting to confirm my gate number at an airport, I heard a man at the gate opposite mine and crossed the hall. Learning that my gate was #4 rather than #6, I started the short backtrack. Ordinarily when someone offers to assist me, my independence rules. For some reason, I let the man accompany me. He said, "My daughter is visually impaired." Then he left. Minutes later, he returned with his daughter. We had a hyphen, the beginning of a bond. The third grader was curious about Treasure. However, when the dad said an inoperable benign tumor pressing on her optic nerve will steal her sight, general dog talk turned to tool-specific. I began telling her that after becoming skilled at mobility cane travel, she will be ready for a dog guide. Her father interrupted again. Cane travel lessons, scheduled to begin soon, had been postponed after her doctor saw slight improvement in one eye. Prompted to tell why her sight had improved, she said she asked God to make her eyes better. I remembered her prognosis. I remembered my angry childhood struggle when similar prayers proved futile. How could I best tell this third grader that she and God need to be on friendly terms for the journey? Despite her hesitant celebration, she heard. "If some day your eyes cannot improve, it does not mean God is mad or does not like you," I said. "It just happened, that's all." Something changed in the child's voice. The hyphen that also separates one person from another at the level of soul had disappeared. "Then," I continued, "you just change your prayer. You ask God to help you find another way of doing what you want to do." We have the opportunity, especially in our churches, to form hyphenated, embryonic relationships with others who are different from us. Sometimes, when we dare to connect at the level of soul, we find that kinship has emerged. Having dropped the attitudinal hyphen, we understand why we were brought together in the first place. Reading the Signs is a can-do forum about accessibility for the whole church family edited by the Rev. Dee Brauninger, First Congregational UCC, Burwell, Nebraska
About elevators and chair lifts in places of worship. By Jacqueline L. Salmon Staff Writer for Justice for All February 3, 2007 When Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld arrived to lead Ohev Sholom, the National Synagogue, two years ago, it didn't take him long to notice a serious problem. Steep staircases in the 50-year-old synagogue in Northwest Washington made it difficult for the elderly and people with physical disabilities to attend services and celebrations. Now, Herzfeld is leading an effort to remedy the situation. After raising almost $150,000, the synagogue is installing two elevators and a stair lift so the steps no longer prevent disabled worshipers from participating in the life of the Orthodox Jewish synagogue at 16th and Jonquil streets. After years of low-key resistance or inertia, houses of worship such as Ohev Sholom are increasingly trying to make their facilities, their programs and their worship services more accessible to the country's 54 million people with disabilities. But for disability activists, the victories are coming slowly. Seventeen years after the sweeping Americans With Disabilities Act threw open the doors of workplaces, schools and other institutions to the disabled, disability activists say that religious entities have been less responsive because they are exempt from most of the act's requirements. Historic religious buildings lack ramps and elevators, services are difficult for people with hearing problems to decipher, religious texts cannot be read by those with vision problems and religious education program leaders tell parents of emotionally disturbed children that they are not equipped to handle the childrens' special needs. Many religious institutions simply don't know how to respond to the needs of members who are disabled, says Ginny Thornburgh, director of the National Organization on Disability's Religion and Disability Program, which is pushing religious entities to become more accessible to the disabled. "There is relatively little interaction between houses of worship and people with disabilities. There's no antagonism, but there is very little dialogue," said Thornburgh, who is hard of hearing and has a 46-year-old son who suffered brain damage as a child. According to a 2004 Harris poll, 84 percent of people with and without disabilities describe religion as "very important" or "important" to them. But less than half of people with disabilities attend religious services at least once a month, compared with 57 percent of people without disabilities. "We are incomplete as long as people with disabilities can't come," said Herzfeld, whose synagogue also hosts programs for people with developmental disabilities. "The congregation needs these people. It's not a house of God if not everyone can come and worship." To nudge congregations along, the National Organization on Disability launched the Accessible Congregations Campaign several years ago to urge national faith groups, congregations and seminaries to remove barriers to the disabled. By signing on, a religious organization commits to removing obstacles that hinder the full participation of all people with disabilities. So far, 2,270 houses of worship have signed on. Locally, 173 congregations in the District, Maryland and Virginia are participating. More than 100 religious leaders, educators and seminary faculty members have also signed up for the organization's Interfaith Directory of Religious Leaders with Disabilities, which lists religious leaders with disabilities who can serve as bridges between the disability community and religious organizations, said Thornburgh. Jackie Mills-Fernald, director of Access Ministries at McLean Bible, trains leaders at other churches on how to increase services for the disabled. She also recently organized the Capital Area Disabilities Ministries, a coalition of 20 Washington area churches interested in improving access for people with disabilities Parents of disabled children are often the spark that ignites a faith organization's move to become more open to those with disabilities, said Mills-Fernald. "They're just dying -- begging -- for a place where the entire family can worship," she said. Many houses of worship mistakenly assume that becoming more accessible to the disabled will be a financial drain and that it involves making expensive renovations to their facilities, Thornburgh said. But, she said, the adjustments can be low-key and inexpensive. People with intellectual disabilities, such as mental retardation, can be invited to serve as greeters. Ushers can be stationed by heavy doors to assist those with mobility impairments. Churches that use video screens can display the text of the sermon for the hard of hearing. "Money is a distraction," Thornburgh said. "We urge congregations to begin with low-cost ways to make the congregation understand the gifts and talents which children and adults with disabilities bring to the congregation." Then, when a house of worship opts to make more expensive investments in ramps and elevators, members are more likely to be supportive, she said. "Congregations get stuck on the issue of money, or they believe that once they raise the money and address the barriers of architecture, the job is complete," she said. "The greater challenge is to eliminate the barriers to attitude." At the Covenant Community of Jesus the Good Shepherd, a Catholic church in Calvert County, lay leaders this month launched a disability ministry called "Accommodating Hearts" that is aimed at educating parishioners about those with disabilities and reaching out to disabled parishioners. Children in the religious education program will learn about disabilities and their impact, special prayers will be inserted in the worship services and volunteers are starting up a resource library with materials on disabilities in the church. "It's not expensive things that we're trying to do," said organizer Jean Reams, whose 12-year-old daughter has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. "But it's kind of beginning small steps to get the community going and to reach out to the disabled community." Source: Washington Post ________________________________________________________________ For more ADA in the News issues, see: http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/indexada.php # # # MODERATOR, Anne Sommers, JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). To contact Anne, please email her at JFAmoderator@aol.com. To respond to a JFA alert or to submit an article, please see http://www.aapd.com/JFA/JFAcontent.html. DISCLAIMER: The JFA Listserv is designed to share information of interest to people with disabilities and promote dialogue in the disability community. Information circulated does not necessarily express the views of AAPD. The JFA Listserv is non-partisan. JFA ARCHIVES: All JFA postings from 1995 to present are available at: http://www.jfanow.org/jfanow/ JOIN AAPD! There's strength in numbers! Be a part of a national coalition of people with disabilities and join AAPD today at http://www.aapd.com. Justice-For-All FREE Subscriptions To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo@JFAnow.org with subscribe justice OR unsubscribe justice in the body of your email message. -- dc
Written by Dan Wilkins (from http://www.thenthdegree.com/intacces.asp) As I was getting out of my van in the parking lot of an area store this older woman with white hair pulled into the accessible parking space next to mine. I sat on the lift waiting for her to get out of her car and lock the door. She had a placard on the dash. Suddenly, as she was making sure she had her keys, a man walking by stopped, took one look at me, and addressed her somewhat demonstratively, saying, “You can't park there!!!” He pointed at the sign and then at me. “That space is for people who use wheelchairs...You can't park there.” This guy, it seemed, was trying to advocate for ME! I looked at the woman. She was turning toward him. She was also turning red. I felt I needed to do something. I felt a need to advocate for her; to help this wanna be good samaritan to understand that not all people with disabilities use chairs. I wanted to tell him how important it is to first look for the placard or plate. I never got the chance. The woman put her keys in her purse, slammed the car door, took one step toward the gentleman and advocated for herself (loudly), “LISTEN, BUCKO!”, she said, “I've had two heart attacks and five bypass surgeries in the last three years. I CAN PARK HERE!” I thought to myself “Geez, lady, don't have another one.” With a look that dared him to rebut, she walked briskly by the dumbstruck pedestrian and into the store. I spent about five minutes practically counseling the poor guy. He'd only come to buy nails. He thought he was doing the right thing. I told him about hidden disabilities, of being denied legitimacy as one who's “really disabled” by an exclusionary symbol which does more to perpetuate misconceptions than to empower and unite a culture. He walked away somewhat enlightened but mumbling something to the effect of “Never again...” Yeah, even though I'm a chair user, I have a problem with the access symbol. It disenfranchises many of my friends who live with disabilities but who do not use chairs. It is a major cause of grief. To an uninformed public, the access symbol by its very design equates disability with wheelchairs and relegates folks like the woman above, those with less obvious disabilities, to always having to prove themselves as worthy of accommodation. The symbol also implies, to those who do not know us that those of us who do use chairs, tend stay in our chairs, confined or bound to them. We, as advocates and activists, rally around the symbol because it has been around for a long time, because it is recognized, because it is all that we have. With so few members of our disability culture using wheelchairs: ten percent, maybe less, why do we keep it around? Let's see...90% of 55 million Americans (let alone 11% of the rest of the world)...we're talking about 49.5 million people for whom the design is not really representative. So what can we do about it? How do we find a symbol that truly represents the expanse of disability culture. How do we incorporate into a design chair users, cane users, dog users, sign language users, people with hidden disabilities, brain injuries, cognitive and developmental disabilities? How about folks with mental illnesses? The list is long and as individual as there are people living with one. It seems to me the only way to not alienate anyone is to get away from a design that speaks to a certain disability or body type, like the current access symbol. We may have to abandon any type of representation of a human form. This is not to be misconstrued as eliminating the “person” or the humanity from disability. I only wish to refocus attention. Every time I have ever been involved in an access or accommodation dispute the focus has always been on me, or the person with the disability in question. We, folks with disabilities, are always seen as the troublemakers, as “the problem.” All we want is an equal shot at what our community has to offer: Access, Accommodation, Equity, Respect, a chance to contribute; to feel and know that we belong. Nothing more. Nothing less. A new symbol, one to be placed on signs in parking lots, on or beside doors to public buildings, restrooms, paths of travel; next to mission statements and on telephones should focus attention on the real barrier to full inclusion: on the attitudes of those controlling the spaces; on those providing the access. So let's trash the wheelchair symbol, keep the same blue field and throw a big bold capital “A” in the middle. Keep it white for continuity. Why an “A”? A for Accessible. A for Accommodating. A for All. A for Aw heck, you too. The “A” doesn't just focus on architectural access but on attitudinal access. If you, as a store owner, as a city park, as an airline or hotel have it on your door, you've earned it. You've also earned our respect and our business. No small potatoes when you consider the respect and buying power of not only 55 million folks with existing disabilities but the 70 million baby boomers hitting fifty. That's a lot of latent disability. Face it, we get older and, when we do, disability often happens. And let's not forget the 37 million or so AARP members. Laws aside, providing real access and accommodation is the right thing to do but if that's not enough, for no other reason, it makes good business sense. No confusion. No misrepresentation. No explanation or proof necessary. A symbol we ALL can rally around. Copyright © 2000. Dan Wilkins and The Nth Degree. 800-241-8468. www.thenthdegree.com. Used by permission in UCC DM Accessible to All curriculum, Anybody, Everybody, Christ's Body 2005 - NCSD National Council for Support on Disability Issues
The following publications about making buildings accessible are available at Partners for Sacred Places : Accessible Faith: A Technical Guide for Accessibility in Houses of Worship (2003) By Elizabeth A. Patterson and Neal A. Vogel, published by the Retirement Research Foundation. The core of this 52-page guide deals with practical solutions to eliminating physical, auditory, and visual barriers, and to improving signage, in older houses of worship. The authors use a variety of case examples and support the text with many photographs, drawings, charts, and diagrams and also include information on who is affected by a "disability", as well as the basics of accessibility laws as they pertain to houses of worship. They conclude the guide with sections covering the design, funding, and construction processes. Loving Justice: The ADA and the Religious Community (1995) By the National Organization on Disability. A guide to the Americans with Disabilities Act's effects on religious institutions and congregations. An explanation of the ADA requirements for some tenants of religious properties is included. Money and Ideas: Creative Approaches to Congregational Access (2001) By the Alban Institute and the National Organization on Disability. A source of ideas for raising money for disability access. Congregations will be inspired to think creatively about their situations and to make affordable, incremental changes to enhance worship for members and visitors alike. That All May Worship: An Interfaith Welcome To People With Disabilities (1994) By the National Organization on Disability. A handbook to assist congregations and denominational groups in welcoming people with disabilities. Interfaith in scope, it offers suggestions for building modifications to accommodate people with all types of disabling conditions.

A Lift to the Spirits - (12/13/2006)

A Reading the Signs column . . . A Can-do Forum about accessibility for the whole church family. By guest writer, the Rev. Ross Tyler, Vine Congregational Church, UCC, Lincoln, NE To have an elevator from the lower church school classrooms level, to the south entry atrium level, and up to the sanctuary/narthex/church office level was the dream of the planning committee for Vine Congregational Church UCC in 1989. An elevator shaft completed as a part of the new construction proved too small for equipment outlined by new state ADA requirements. The fund drive fell short for purchase of the original equipment ($43,000). Momentum died. The barriers were unresolved for some eight years. In those intervening years, several uniquely gifted adults struggled around the barriers to total access by parking behind the church for entry at the same level of the narthex and sanctuary. They gained access to lower classrooms by going outside and around to east entry doors by way of the parking lot and connecting drive ramp (weather permitting or not). Shane and Pam Cuttlers joined Vine in 1993. In 1996, they were blessed with the birth of their daughter Morgan, a bright eyed, curly blond youngster who steals your heart with a quick smile and wrinkling nose. The church and her parents quickly realized that Morgan would teach them the skills necessary to care for someone with glutaric aciduria, a condition affecting the body's ability to process protein. For Morgan, this means weak muscle control and involuntary movements. Carrying Morgan and her stroller up and down stairs while she was small was an easy, loving task. As she required larger conveyances, this became harder and even dangerous. Because Shane is a Lincoln firefighter, Pam often needed others to help with the wheelchair or she wheeled Morgan outside to get to the lower level church school. Church folk as well as visitors became aware of the absolute need for a vertical lift for this spirited child. The purchase of an Access Industries Porch Lift, model PLS-144 ($24,970) With added shaft preparation and other material expenses ($1,925) was proposed at the Congregational Annual Meeting on.February 17, 2002. Following a unanimous vote, gifts of more than S30,000 came in, including substantial donations from Clark Hoover General Contractors of in-kind labor. Other generous cash donations by members raised more than $15,000 before the end of the meeting! Following the worship service on September 15, 2002, the congregation gathered so that Pastor Ross, Morgan and Pam Cuttlers could formally dedicate the new elevator lift. Morgan had already been using it as well as other summer guests since its state approval in June. The church is deeply grateful to God, to its exceptionally generous members and friends, and to those special individuals whose vision and tenacity have truly lifted the spirit of equal access for all! You can contact Ross Tyler at or call 402.483.4781. This column may be reproduced.
By Jo Ackerman, Pastor of Clay Center, Nebraska The Nebraska Conference is proud of its churches that are making an effort to be accessible to all of God's people. The term "accessible," as used in many of our churches, means being able to gain entrance to the building. Some churches have constructed ramps and installed elevators; others consider a rear entrance sufficient. Even with these assists there may be hidden barriers. A doorknob that is unable to be grasped by arthritic hands or a heavy door that cannot be pulled open can be a huge problem for someone using a wheelchair, crutches, or a walker. Many persons who deal with disabilities have learned to be independent. Assistance is not always available at all times. Doorways that may appear wide enough to navigate in a wheelchair may be as little as an inch or half inch too narrow for easy passage. Restroom doorways and stalls are often impossible. Providing access to our meeting places and offering a welcome that allows persons to feel welcomed into our gatherings, whether in the pews in worship, the availability of restrooms, or an easy entrance and exit, means we care and we are listening to God when our Creator asks us to welcome everyone to God's table as part of the whole family. Doorknobs and yardsticks can be important tools to measure our accessibility to all. Jo Ackerman is a member of the Nebraska Conference UCC DM Board which is the source of the Reading the Signs columns for use in conference and local church newsletters. Reprinted by permission.
The second Sunday of October, Access Sunday, launches Disabilities Awareness Week. Consider incorporating into worship this blessing of tools that bring fullness of life to individuals and your church. Hint: Mention the blessing in newsletter and church so folk can determine what objects, architectural changes, and other devices bring them freedom. Home/work examples: jar lid popper, speech access computer, half-steps, support cane, walker, full spectrum light bulbs, reader, driver, usable hearing device, trifocals, lightweight dishes, electric wheelchair, new computer program, powered implement, levered door handles, reorganized work space. Church: improved sound system, pew cutouts, eliminating chancel step(s), 14-point bulletins/newsletters, large type hymnal, automatic doors, wheelchair-accessible bathroom, welcoming attitude. Invite worshipers to bring tools for blessing. Materials: Index cards, pew pencils, chancel table for candles, varisized candles in holders on side tables, 2 acolytes, ushers with card baskets, 2 card readers with microphones stationed in sanctuary. BLESSING OF LIFE-GIVING TOOLS Texts: "Choose life..." (Deuteronomy 30:19b). Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" John 10:10b. Hymn of Thanking: "Great Is Your Faithfulness" or "Now Thank We All Our God" Naming Tools Leader: Let us name the tools that offer fuller life at church, home, and work. We recognize these tools as evidence of God's presence. Think about expected and unexpected challenges and the life-giving ways you or this church has met them. List them. Hymn of Reflecting (Sung during card collection): "How Deep the Silence of the Soul," "We Yearn, O Christ, For Wholeness," or "I Would Be True" Leader: By naming, we acknowledge and honor these tools. Hear now those that bring light into our lives. (Readers read several cards with pauses as acolytes place a candle for each on table and light it. Work from center outward leaving room for cards. When naming is finished, readers place cards on table.) Consecrating Tools Leader: Ever-creating God, we accept these empowering tools as signs of your compassion. People: No tool is too small or costly that draws its user into fuller life. Leader: These gifts symbolize that all people are acceptable and meant to live. People: When spirits soar with new possibility, God, a surge of energy swooshes like an eagle entering flight. Leader: Let those bringing tools come for blessing. (Speak as leader places hands on each tool and person:) Leader: Bless this life-giving tool and the one who uses it. All: Thank you, God, for wholeness of being. Amen. Hymn of Launching: "Help Us Accept Each Other" or "Called As Partners In Christ's Service" Prayer: Gracious God, in holy partnership with your hope, let us continue to open doors in our lives and in this place with whatever helps answer challenge and life-change with hope. When shortness of funds, courage or tenacity causes stumbling, remind us of networking and shared effort. When tangled mats of impossibility exhaust our spirit, refresh the vigor of our resourcefulness. Through Christ. Amen. Reading the Signs columns, written or edited by db, are reprinted with permission from the Nebraska Conference Nebraska Record and are to be used freely.

Seed Money - (12/12/2006)

What inspires a flock of geese to shape a V or a church to focus its energy? "The greatest thing is a matter of dignity," said Wayne Heathers, member of First Congregational Church UCC of Curtis, NE. "You might not understand that, if you have never been shut out from something." He chaired the five-member committee after his church's self-evaluation four years' ago revealed better access as its highest goal. A lift suited their resources and building better than an elevator. The architect preserved the facade of the beautiful, old style brick building. With an accommodating bid from Omaha-based Access Elevators, they acted. Supporting 750 pounds, the street level entry lift carries people to the sanctuary upstairs and the basement fellowship area. Thrift shop and quilting proceeds pooled with general funds to provide the $38,000. "Even if things seem slow, don't quit," Mr. Heathers counseled. "Just keep bringing [your project] up until all the geese are flying together in the same direction, and you can get somewhere." "Two members now can get into the sanctuary and attend worship regularly," their minister said. "Before, they and others in town could not attend funerals of friends or participate in community services." Leon Banzhaf had arrived last March prior to the project's spring forward. "Without handicapped accessibility, the church had a good chance of dying," he said. "I hope this lift gives to the community a message of love and welcome to all people." The church has gained a new image in the community and a renewed self-image. Suzanne Harland, youngest church member, said members had accepted that it is okay to be a church primarily for older retired people. However after four months of use, more and more people are using the lift. One brought a friend with a lame hip. A young woman who had been in a bad wreck had never gone to any church before. A few years ago there was only one man, now there are seven. A couple young families have raised attendance to 25. Donations to recoup lift money are fueling the current fund drive. Still, Mrs. Harland said, the greatest impact of the lift is on those who attend church. Every Sunday, the congregation goes downstairs after church to eat breakfast together. "There's sweet rolls, and cheese and crackers for diabetics. We set the service earlier so we can spend a little time together. We have been friends for so long as a congregation. That makes you close." The Nebraska Conference Disabilties Ministries Task Force has observed through other conferences that, after receiving seed money, members who had none for access modifications in their smaller churches also started giving abundantly. We, therefore, offer the Smaller Church Accessibility Projects Grant. This modest grant (up to $500 this year depending upon the number of applicants) will be awarded at fall association meetings to recipient churches for designing access or actual access modification. For information or an application, contact the Revs. Jeanne Tyler, Nancy Erickson, or Dee Brauninger. Applications also are available at the Conference Office. Please share with us ways that your church has funded accessibility projects. Reading the Signs columns are printed with permission of the Nebraska Conference and are for sharing in other conference and local church newsletters as a tool of inclusion.

Necessary Things - (12/12/2006)

Lincoln, Nebraska's Northeast Community Church views things differently because of Scott Pigsley and Diana Coberly. Scott, 13-year-old son of Gina and Jerry Pigsley, knows God sees the person inside his body with spina bifida. "When God looks at me, God looks over that I'm in a wheelchair and sees a normal person." Scott says of Diana, "Not everybody has a minister who gets around in a wheelchair. The first time I met Diana, I felt happy. We both have a person who knows what we go through. It (her ministry) says people can do whatever they want to do." Northeast's first chancel ramp had allowed Scott to light candles with his friends, but he needed a push from his dad. The present ramp, built after the minister's arrival, follows proper incline code. "It's a pretty caring church," he said. "Now Diane and I are thinking about getting downstairs. Things like this tell people in wheelchairs that we won't banish you from our church if you come in." "Diana is a role model," Jerry Pigsley said of the woman whose interim ends in July, "a godsend in that this was my son's confirmation year, so their relationship is even more embellished. Clergy with disabilities have much to share on a spiritual basis. Diana has broken many disability stereotypes." As access committee member, Pigsley has seen his church "expand in spirit to look beyond chair and disability." However, he said, resolving the puzzles of making a church fully welcoming takes time. Joe Geist, moderator when the interim began, said his church is more in tune now that Northeast must continue to increase accessibility, "not by law but from the human aspect. People like Diana have so much to offer that to overlook that gift because you are not ready to provide the necessary things...." Necessary things include chancel ramp, accessible main floor bathrooms, minimal close-in parking, and removal of the front door offset. Trustees are checking into expanded parking, electric door openers, and lower level accessibility. All members will benefit. Resources, such as statewide Barrier Removal and Information Centers (800-742-7338) or Lincoln architect Lynne Jones, from the UCC group of Fellowship of Architects committed to accessibility (402-476-9700) are available for free onsite consultation. Stewardship Committee Chair Nancy Harms said the church set aside a fund for accessibility issues. She said she has grown in tolerance and awareness of things she once took for granted. "I hope people in this church have learned that we would want for others what you would want for yourself." Diana Coberly said that several individuals at Northeast have changed forever because of her presence. "They may even speak up down the road and translate that into changes we will see in this church. Changing attitudinal habits takes time. I once took repeated insensitivity personally. Now I understand that the change which allows persons with disabilities to participate fully in the life of the church only happens once it is in people's hearts." In what ways does a person with a disability in your church, sometimes a clergy person with a disability, mentor to others in your church who live with a disability? This Reading the Signs column is printed with the permission of the Nebraska Conference. Please share the news in your conference or local church newsletter.
Newspapers, Periodicals, E-Periodicals NFB-NEWSLINE Centralized, call-in, phone service. The newspaper reading service gives non-visual readers or persons who cannot hold a newspaper toll-free access to many daily newspapers. Section, headline, first sentence and whole article reading Contact at 888-882-1629 or see . Access Press Access Press is Minnesota-based, one of only twelve disability-focused newspapers published in the United States The Journal of NAMI Available from: THE JOURNAL 1111 Howe Ave, Ste 475 Sacramento CA 95825 or from: The Journal@mhsource.com DISABLED NEED JUSTICE, NOT CHARITY, Special issue of The Other Side, September-October, 2002. Christians living with disabilities, among them Nancy Eiesland, speak out. Contact at www.theotherside.org or call 1-800-700-9280.
Written by Gina and Mercer Mayer Racine, Wisconsin: Golden Books Publishing Co., Inc., 1992 One of a serieis of books about disabilities attitudes

A Manual for Churches - (12/01/2006)

This seventy-eight page manual addresses attitudinal and architectural access in inclusive and helpful way. Part I, "People with Disabilities in the Family of God." Divided into seven sections, including one on the power of words and another of suggestion for when "you meet someone who has a disability." Part II, "Providing a Welcoming Environment." Divided into eleven parts. One those parts addresses chemical sensitivities/environmental illness and another, the concerns about funding sources. A list of foundations that provide grant monies for access projects should be very helpful. This section is not confined to church- related situations, but also has a section called "Accessible Home Design Resources:" Extensive Appendix Fourteen sections. It is available from the persons listed below. These persons are also available to answer questions and provide information. Rev. Barbara Ranmaraine Episcopal Disability Network 3024 E. Minnehaha Pkwy Minneapolis MN 55406 Phone: 888.422.0320 ext. 6634 Ms. Mary Jane Steinhagen Catholic Charities - Office for People with Disabilities 3225-32 Ave S Minneapolis MN 55406 Phone: 612.729.7845
Guidelines for Working with Persons with Disabilities Written by Harold H. Wilke Abingdon Press, 2000
"No Steps to Heaven" begins:
The scene is upper Manhattan, Broadway at Reinhold Niebuhr Place, Union Theological Seminary. Union’s president, Donald Shriver, walks jauntily down the steps to the bustling street and sits down in a wheelchair brought for the experiment, thus putting himself in the place of a student with a handicap. Gazing up from his wheelchair at that imposing entrance and those five insurmountable steps, he says, “OK, carry me in,” and two waiting students -- both of them at least a bit nervous -- carry him into the foyer. Inside, he wheels past a heavy elevator door and then, with the aid of the students, attempts to negotiate the maze that is a magnificent building constructed on the assumption that everyone using it would be not only a spiritual and intellectual giant but an able-bodied athlete as well!
Read the entire article, No Steps to Heaven.
Written by Harold H. Wilke "We have a history of keeping people 'out of sight, out of mind.'" "Even more people are becoming alienated, and ever more of them are coming out into the open." "They are part of our society, not apart from it. More sharply than ever before, the idea of “mainstreaming” -- keeping persons who differ from the norm within the main current of social life -- is becoming a part of Western thinking. In this context, there is an urgent need for society to respond to a “coming-out party” for those who are about to be deinstitutionalized, as well as a need for a far more adequate response to that much larger number who already are in our midst. Certainly the religious community, in its contact with people on every street corner and in every hamlet, has a prime opportunity to help in this mainstreaming process." In this article, Dr. Wilke presents four practical responses of the church. Read Mainstreaming the Alienated
Written by Shirley H. Strobel, NAMI P.O. Box 753, Waldorf MD 20604.
This is a curriculum designed to sensitize adults in church congregations to people with severe mental illness. Can be used as 12 one-hour lessons or six two-hour lessons. Teaching sessions are designed to build on Biblical-based theological reflection. The publication includes material on being a friend to a person with mental illness and model programs from other churches. From UCC DM Newsletter Archive, Book Beat
This resource discusses the importance of using "People First Language" when speaking or writing about mental illness. By Charlotte Hawkins-Shepard, Ph.D. Health and Welfare Ministries Program, General Board of Global Ministries United Methodist Church 475 Riverside Drive, Room 330 New York NY 10115. Available on web site at: This resource urges the church community to help stamp out the use of demeaning terms such as "crazy" or "nut." It reviews types of mental illnesses and cautions against global use of specific terms that refer to only one disorder, and reminds people to use such terms only when sure they are correct, both medically and legally. It writes in context of the United Methodist 1992 General Conference Resolution related to mental illness. Paper - 1 P., double-sided. From UCC DM Newsletter Archive, Book Beat

Book: Blindsided by Grace - (11/10/2006)

Entering the World of Disability Author: Robert F. Molsberry Publisher: Augsburg Fortress, 2004 ISBN 0-8066-4572-5 An ordained UCC pastor, Bob Molsberry is Ohio Conference Minister elect. He serves as Vice-Chair of the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries Board.

From the Book Jacket


Blindsided by Grace is an engaging exploration of disability for those facing limitation or loss in their lives. A pastor, husband, father and triathlete, Robert F. Molsberry was left parapalegic following a near-fatal hit and run accident in 1997. After a long period of recovery and rehabilitation, he has returned to an active life, including family, ministry and athletics. Molsberry confronts stereotypes surrounding the experience of disability, comparing his adjustment to an immersion in an alien culture. A disability is not just a physical or mental impairment; cultural, political and theological factors are as important as a medical diagnosis in understanding the concept of disability. With honesty and humor, Molsberry uncovers positive as well as negative aspects of his experience. He is the author of many published articles, both before and after incurring his disability.

First Congregational Church in Dudley Offers Worship Service in Sign Language - SHARED IN SPOTLIGHT, THE E-NEWSLETTER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS CONFERENCE UCC

Hearing impairment is no longer a reason to miss the spoken Word at worship – at least not at First Congregational Church in Dudley. Once a month, the Dudley church offers a sign language interpretation at its Sunday service.

"I am so happy that my church is able to offer this wonderful service,” says Kenny Laferriere. “As a child, I would always attend church with my grandmother because my parents were unable to hear the service. It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to attend church with my whole family and know that my parents are enjoying the service just as much as I am.” The Rev. John White, pastor at the church, explains that several years ago, Laferriere was facing some serious health issues. His parents were profoundly deaf, so White had limited conversations with them. However, when White visited the family at the hospital, there was a sign language interpreter on duty who could help in the conversation. Through that exchange, White discovered that the parents had wanted to attend worship in the past, but the language barrier had discouraged them. After contacting a service for the deaf, White hired a certified sign language interpreter/transliterator to interpret one worship service per month. The $100 cost is paid anonymously by two generous members of the church. “I have found that people, with or without hearing impairments, love the sign language service,” says White. “I will often incorporate the work of Jennifer, the interpreter, into the service itself,” says White. For example, on Pentecost – a day believed to be a time when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages – White’s sermon addressed foreign languages and other methods of communication, including sign language. “We had people come forward who spoke French, Polish, German, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and English. In addition, we also included both music and signing as languages. Then everyone said ‘God loves you’ in his/her own language.” It was a great way to show that the church was made up of many different languages but was still one, he explained. Kenny’s father Raymond believes he is blessed to be a part of a church that provides signing. “I always look forward to attending church service on these ‘special’ Sundays because I know on this day I will be able to understand what Pastor John has to say,” Raymond wrote. “I can only wish that this service was offered on more Sundays throughout the year.” Kenny’s mother, Robin agrees. "I think that the Sign Language Interpreter services that are offered can be described with one word,” she wrote. “Magnificent! I am able to enjoy church now because I can understand what is going on throughout the service. It is a wonderful thing that the church can offer to their parishioners.” Jennifer publishes her own newsletter and includes her schedule. As a result, two or three additional visitors attend the service. “And Jennifer herself has fallen in love with the church,” says White. “She now occasionally attends our church even when she’s not interpreting.” “We have grown so well because we are finding more ways to broaden our welcome,” says White, noting the increase in membership from 40 to 150 in less than a decade. “Whether it’s inviting people to communion, having an Open and Affirming conversation, using the New Century hymnal with its inclusive language, sending out enewsletters, or even using sign language during service: we do whatever we can to widen the welcome and have worship speak the message -- in any language.” “I am so proud to be a part of such a wonderful congregation because we chose to fund this excellent service before other very important church needs," says Kenny. The Massachusetts Conference has incorporated sign language into its Annual Meeting for many years. For additional information and resources, visit the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing website at http://www.mass.gov/mcdhh/
Let the church embrace the Americans with Disabilities Act
Equity for Persons with Serious Brain Disorders (Mental Illnesses)

Background


Text of the Resolution
Inclusion of Clergy with Disabilities

Introduction


Theological Rationale
Text of the Resolution
WHEREAS, in 1977 the Eleventh General Synod approved the Pronouncements, "The Church and Persons with Handicaps," which encouraged all settings of the United Church of Christ to implement full employment of persons with disabilities; WHEREAS, in 1981 the Thirteenth General Synod approved the Proposal for Action, "The Church and Persons with Handicaps," which included Calls for affirmative action in the hiring of persons with disabilities in our local churches and throughout the church; WHEREAS, in 1985 the Fifteenth General Synod approved "Full Participation for Persons with Disabilities in the Life of the Church," which "recommends that local churches, associations, conferences, instrumentalities and other national bodies seek out persons with disabilities to become actively involved in all aspects of the church;" WHEREAS, in 1995 the Twentieth General Synod approved "Concerning the Church and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)," which challenges the United Church of Christ to embrace the spirit of the ADA and hold itself to be morally bound by the provisions of the ADA which prohibit employment discrimination against person with disabilities; and WHEREAS, despite the above General Synod actions, barriers remain within local churches, conferences, and national boards to calling clergy with disabilities to serve; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that in the next two years, there be an aggressive campaign to assist clergy persons with disabilities in the call process. The Office for Church Life and Leadership and/or its successor body in partnership with the NCPWD is requested to lead this effort; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office for Church Life and Leadership and/or its successor body, in partnership with the NCPWD is requested to develop educational programs and resources for the church to address discrimination against clergy persons with disabilities and to include appropriate materials in research committee notebooks. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that all United Church of Christ related seminaries be urged to remove barriers-- architectural, attitudinal, and cultural-which prohibit persons with disabilities from receiving the same preparation as non-disabled persons. Funding for this action will be made in accordance with the overall mandates of the affected agencies and the funds available. Prudential Resolution: Requires a majority vote for passage.
A Resolution honoring the Accessible to All mandate in the mission of the United Church of Christ Becoming a Church Accessible to All
Date Submitted: November 6, 2004 Conference Executive Committee SUBMITTED BY: Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ SUMMARY OF INTENT: The Minnesota Conference calls on United Church of Christ Conferences, Associations, congregations, seminaries, campus ministries and colleges, camps, covenanted ministries and all other UCC organizations to become accessible to all; to embody a philosophy of inclusion and interdependence; and to support and implement the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 -- as called upon by the General Synod resolution passed in 1995, "Concerning the Church and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", calling the UCC at all levels to embrace the spirit of the ADA.

THEOLOGICAL RATIONALE


BACKGROUND AND SUPPORTING STATEMENT:
TEXT OF RESOLUTION:
Written by the Rev. Nancy J. Erickson, December 2003 St. Monica's Chemical Dependency Service for Women, Lincoln The backdrop for discussion is Leviticus 21:16-23. I suggest you read this paradigm which has informed church policies and even some religious beliefs for hundreds of years. I presented a Bible study at our annual meeting this year focused on a biblical foundation for becoming a welcoming church to people with disabilities. What I present here is one aspect of my discussion, the most significant one, in my opinion, because it forms the basis for the rest of it. The backdrop for discussion is Leviticus 21:16-23. I suggest you read this paradigm which has informed church policies and even some religious beliefs for hundreds of years. It has been the rationale for excluding certain groups of people from being part of the leadership of the church, and in some instances, from even entering the church building. This text says that "no one with a blemish may draw near" and goes on in great detail to describe what kinds of conditions constitute a "blemish." As we know, Jesus broke many religious taboos and called into question many cultural norms. This is no exception. In my presentation, I looked closely at three healing stories from Mark (Mark 1: 29-31, Mark 5: 2534 and Mark 2: 1-12) to show that Jesus' treatment of those with blemishes (as defined by his own Hebrew tradition) was the exact opposite of the Levitical codes. It is clear from these stories that for Jesus, breaking physical bonds and breaking bonds of sin are both redemptive processes that are intertwined. These stories reveal Jesus of God. Jesus' ministry points to a God who is compassionate to those who do not fit into the protective custody of the family or culture - widow, orphan, stranger, sick. The themes of healing, wholeness, restoration, empowerment, redemption, compassion for those excluded, and integration come through loud and clear. For Jesus, the movement is ALWAYS from exclusion to inclusion and towards mutuality. Given this understanding, there are at least three important implications for the church. First, a sign of healing, wholeness means bringing in the excluded. This does not mean curb cuts, elevators, large print and accessible drinking fountains. But let me be clear those things are VERY important. It also means welcoming folks with physical, mental or intellectual differences into Sunday school, the choir, the church's committees, etc. Second, which follows naturally, wholeness occurs when those who have power are willing to share it. This means that people with disabilities are able to be in leadership positions within the church, both as lay persons and as clergy. The third and final implication can be a way of restating what has already been said: in order to be whole, everyone must have access. I served on a board with a young woman named Annie. Annie had several birth defects, used a wheelchair and had some impediment of her speech. Her idea of heaven was that she would remain just as she was, but that the environment in heaven would be one in which she could go anywhere, do anything she pleased, no one would stare at her, and she would be accepted unconditionally just as she is. We have the capacity to make our churches a lot like Annie's idea of heaven. I would love to see us try. Wholeness - Accessibility/Attitudinal Reading the Signs is a can-do forum about accessibility for the whole church family edited by the Rev. Dee Brauninger, First Congregational UCC, Burwell, Nebraska

Challenge by Rita Fiero - (09/02/2003)

Rita Fiero, RN, is immediate past co chair of the UCCDM board. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 People with difficult speech, twisted bodies, or damaged brains have an authentic voice much of which is prophetic. From within experiences of disability and chronic illness, we offer the insight that God enters our being at the point of pain and vulnerability. We can model the transcendence of limitations of body or mind as the most powerful way to survive and grow toward wholeness. Hope for disabilities ministries flourishes in many places because we believe God in Christ, the Indiscriminate Host. The church has a committed group of wounded healers. For more than 25 years, UCC Disabilities Ministries has striven to honor Jesus' teaching of the inclusion of society's marginal, children and adults with disabilities and chronic illness. For more than ten years, the Mental Illness Network has educated the church about the plight of people with brain disorders. Inclusion is our right as children of God, also made in God's image, and as members of a faith tradition of servanthood. We need a new and revolutionary, an extravagant and radical, an extreme and uncompromising hospitality in the church if we are to remain faithful to the message of the Indiscriminate Host. We must admit to not recognizing the justice issues that impress the experience of disability euthanasia, genetic engineering, community based care alternatives to institutionalization and insurance parity for brain disorders on equal par with other medical conditions. We need to take seriously Christian education for children with disabilities and a seminary certificate program in Disability Ministry. Let us reach beyond an all inclusive view of disabilities ministry. God still gives us hope through improbable people.

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

Challenge by Jeanne Tyler - (01/21/2003)

Jeanne Tyler co-chairs the UCCDM board and is co-pastor of Saint Paul UCC, Lincoln, Nebraska He told them another parable: "The [realm of God] is like yeast which a woman took and . . . ." - Matthew 13:33 Slowly bubbling along with warm water and sugar, yeast grows as it rises into dough and bakes into bread. This image from Jesus' rich parable is especially apt for persons with disability and our call to serve. We have been around forever and have been bubbling slowly ever so slowly into the wholeness of life, bringing the church into the fullness of transformation along with all who have been marginalized, made invisible. With many and diverse gifts, some serve and others are served. Mostly invisible for years, persons with disability are everywhere in every race and culture. We are truly the yeast that is transforming to this church. Yeast bubbles, slowly and persistently raising the dough. Persons with disability slowly and persistently insist on our call to serve. I love the church. Here I first experienced acceptance and affirmation. Here I was included in its life. Here I began pulling my life together and trusting God. I gained courage to claim as mine the call to serve. Taken into community, I claim the community and as a member serve by offering my gifts. The church struggles with discovering us who have been invisible for so long. Called to serve as lay leaders, as ordained, as preachers and teachers, as missionaries, we often feel vulnerable to our own visibility. At times persons with disability make tremendous sacrifices in order to serve. The church has the temptation to see in my body only the image of brokenness and insist it be whole. I call the church to resist this temptation. I call the church to honor our call to serve in all settings of the church. The church that is made whole sees in our bodies the transformation that is called forth by the leaven to rise so that all may serve. The dough rises and is baked only to be broken and shared to make people whole.

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

Challenge by Peg Slater - (09/21/2002)

In Romans 12, Paul wrestles with how we relate and work with each other: "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same God." Paul says what it is to be the body of Christ: "For the body does not consist of one member but of many." These well known words open more questions for people with disabilities. If our bodies and minds appear broken or challenged, are we the body of Christ? Do Paul's words apply to us? Or, are we just "others"-- people to whom the real body of Christ must or should minister? We ALL are called to wrestle with these contemporary questions. As the inclusive ministry coordinator I have found that most people in our churches believe being Accessible to All is a really great thing, IF they can afford an elevator, IF they have people who have accessibility needs, etc. However, twenty-five years of education have made a difference. Many congregations really wish to be Accessible to All for the sake of being welcoming and inviting to everyone - whatever that takes. I am encouraged and excited with what is currently happening. Many of our congregations, however, have thought about what being truly accessible really means? If we are truly accessible our "body" will be different, will change. The Body of Christ will live with brain illness, physical challenges, developmental challenges, wellness, and unwellness. We will not have the same body we once had; especially if those entered an accessible church thought they were invited in to be PART of the Body of Christ, not just ministered to BY the Body of Christ! Listen again to what Paul tells us: "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of service, but the same God." We are all called to be the Body of Christ. Everyone who enters a congregation, no matter how, is called to be part of the body. Each person who enters brings a gift to be shared. Each gift will be different, change will occur, and the Body of Christ will be the LIVING Christ. How scary and how wonderful! This is Good News, indeed!
This questionnaire was completed several years ago. Please contact its producer for follow-up information. Produced by Laura-Jean Gilbert.

Dear Reader of the UCC National Committee on Persons with Disabilities Newsletter: Are you, an individual with a disability? Did you attend a UCC seminary? If you answered "Yes" to both these questions, I need your help! This newsletter insert contains a questionnaire that asks questions about the experiences of people who have a disability who attended a UCC-related seminary program. Please take a few minutes to respond to the questionnaire -- take even longer, if you could, to share some of your specific experiences. Your response can be returned through the mail, by FAX, or via e-mail. But I would request that responses be returned by the end of June of this year. If you do not have a disability or, are not a UCC seminary alumnus/a but know someone who fits these categories, please pass this insert and its questionnaire along to them. Responses to this questionnaire will provide data for a study that is looking at the question of whether UCC affiliated or related seminaries are accessible to or discriminatory toward individuals who have a disability. The total study project will become my Ph.D. dissertation in the field of special education administration at Gailaudet University. It will also be shared with the UCC National Committee on Persons with Disabilities and with the Issues on Disabilities and Access (IDA) Taskforce of the Central Atlantic Conference (of which I am a former member). I want to thank both that task force and the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities for their interest and support! And I want to thank you, the readers of this newsletter; for your help! Laura-Jean Gilbert PO Box 424 FAX: (603) 495-0359 Washington, NH 03280 E-mail: ljgilb@aol.com (UCC directly-related and affiliated seminaries: Andover-Newton, Bangor, Chicago, Eden, Evangelical (Puerto Rico), Interdenominational (Atlanta), Hartford, Harvard, Howard, Lancaster, Pacific, Union (N.Y.), United, Vanderbilt, Yale) UCC Seminaries and Students with Disabilities QUESTIONNAIRE The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) "defines an 'individual with a disability' as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an. Impairment or is regarded as having such an Impairment." If you attended a UCC directly-related or affiliated seminary and you consider yourself to have had a disability that fits the ADA definition when you were a seminary student, please help us by taking time to respond to this questionnaire. You may use additional paper to answer these questions or comment on them.
1. Please indicate the type of disability you have (or had) at the time you were a seminary student: 2. Which UCC seminary did you attend? 3. During what years were you a student? 4. What is your birth date: 5. What degree program were you in? 6. Did you graduate? Yes No Still enrolled 7. When you entered the seminary, what was your career goal? local church ministry teaching pastoral counseling chaplaincy other (please explain) 8. When you applied, did you inform the seminary that you had a disability? - Yes No Don't remember 9. Did you request any special accommodation related to your disability when you enrolled or began classes? No Yes (If yes, what accommodation did you request and did the seminary provide that accommodation?) 10. While you were a student at the seminary did you find the buildings and grounds of the seminary to be accessible to you? not at all only a little to some degree mostly accessible totally accessible 11. Did you find the teaching methods used by faculty and/or technologies employed in the classroom supportive of your accessibility needs? . . not at all only a little to some degree mostly accessible - totally accessible 12. Was seminary housing suitable or adapted for a person with your disability? Yes No Don't know 13. Beyond the classroom, were seminary programs, such as community worship, special lectures, or student activities, accessible to you? not at all only a little to some degree mostly accessible totally accessible 14. Were you aware of other people with disabilities in the seminary community? Yes No 15. When you attended the seminary did it offer specific courses related to disability issues? Yes No Don't know (or don't remember) If you answered "'yes," in what areas of the curriculum were the courses offered? (Check any/all that apply.) Pastoral ministry Old or New Testament Pastoral counseling - Christian Education Ethics Other(?) 16. From your experiences in seminary, what approach(es) were taken to disability issues? (Check any/all that apply.) As punishment for sin As a test of faith As opportunities for God's intervention As opportunities for growth and learning As examples of redemptive suffering As examples of God's mysterious omnipotence As examples of the interdependence of the universe As opportunities for Christian community Other(?) 17. Did you seek employment related to your seminary training after graduation? Yes No Already had employment If you answered yes, how much difficulty did you have finding employment? 18. Please share any other comments or specific experiences that you had as a seminary student that might help us understand your experiences as a seminary student with a disability. We are asking respondents to identify themselves so that we might be able to follow up with questions. However, you may reply anonymously if you prefer. No use of the data collected will identify individuals. The report will include identified experiences of a handful of individuals who will be interviewed directly for this purpose. Name. Mailing address: Telephone: E-mail address: I would like to receive a copy of the results of this study. Please return this questionnaire and any other information you wish to append or include by the end of June of this year to: L. J. Gilbert PO Box 424 Washington, NH 03280 Or you may respond via FAX to (603) 495-0359 or mail to ljgilb@aol.com

An Update on the Study of UCC-Related Seminaries and Their Students with Disabilities As announced in the April 1999 issue of this newsletter, the study of seminaries affiliated with or related to the UCC and students with disabilities in well underway. The researcher doing the study, Laura Jean Gilbert, has visited nine of the 14 seminaries located in the continental U.S. and has plans to visit three additional seminaries in the coming month. In the fall of 1999, a letter from David Denham was sent to each of the 14 seminaries explaining the study and inviting their participation. Those 14 seminaries are Andover-Newton Theological School, Bangor Theological Seminary, Chicago Theological Seminary, Eden Theological Seminary, Hartford Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, Howard University School of Divinity, The Interdenominational Theological Center, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Pacific School of Religion, Union Theological Seminary, United Theological Seminary, The Divinity School at Vanderbilt University, and Yale Divinity School. Almost all of the seminaries are participating in the study. Bangor Seminary declined to participate, and Howard has not responded to letters, phone calls, or e-mail communication. Therefore, final results will include six directly-related and six affiliated seminaries. A pilot study was done last fall at Princeton Seminary, and data from that study was used to revise the questionnaires used in the actual study. Princeton had been through a year-long analysis by an architectural firm of its facilities related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and those findings were made available to our researcher. Our study is considering not only the facilities of each seminary, but also current and recent past enrolled students who have identified themselves as having a disability. It also involves a questionnaire distributed to full-time faculty asking them about their personal experiences with individuals who have a disability in their classes, and it looks for specific recent books about individuals with disabilities -- such as The Disabled God by Nancy Eiesland -- in each seminary's library. The researcher hopes to do an analysis of all the collected data over the summer and submit a final report to UCC Disabilities Ministries by fall 2000. From UCC DM Newsletter Archive
Written by Jose Malayang, Executive Minister of Local Church Ministries.
Our vision as a United Church of Christ is broad and has so many components-to become a multiracial, multicultural, open and affirming church, accessible to all. The last-named one universal accessibility-admittedly has just not been given enough emphasis and attention. We've been focusing on the exciting possibility of M and M (multiracial and multicultural, and expending energy on the controversial ONA (open and affirming), but we've not been paying enough attention to the A2A (accessible to all). Previous writers of this column, including members of the Collegium, have rightly been affirming our denominational commitment to the particular vision of all-inclusive accessibility. More importantly, they have affirmed, with personal stories and experiences, their own beliefs in our ministry to, with, and for persons with disabilities, both in the United Church of Christ, in its various ministry settings, and in society at large. But we still have a long way to go. Too many churches in this land-United Church of Christ facilities included, of course-are unwelcoming or downright inhospitable to folks with disabilities (name any form of them).This attitude may not be intentional, though, on the part of some who are without the needed resources to make their buildings accessible. I did a workshop once on a welcoming church. I focused on the topic of "walls" in our churches, walls we physically build, as well as nonphysical barriers we erect. The objective was to help the participants recognize and name barriers in their local churches that seem to say to people, both members and visitors alike, "You're not really welcome here," without really intending to say so. The group members also looked at numerous models of hospitality reflected in a number of Bible passages. Participants were asked to identify both physical and nonphysical barriers in their churches. Accessibility was at the top of the list-the admission and recognition that most church facilities have sanctuaries, as well as other rooms in their church plants, that are simply not accessible, for example, narrow passageways and aisles, no elevators to or from fellowship halls, no accessible rest rooms, and no equipment for, or assistance to, the deaf or blind. For some, an unwelcoming due is the absence of welcoming signs. Signage is important, both outside and inside the church building. My cousins related an experience of visiting a church in my city. They found the church all right, got into the building somehow-and proceeded to get lost inside. No signs inside the big building indicated how and where to find the sanctuary. Buildings should have clear signs inside as well as outside-to the sanctuary, the fellowship halls, church offices, classrooms, rest rooms- helping and informing people where to go and how to get there. It should be said here that many of our churches have become more and more accessible with elevators or similar mechanisms, equipment for the hard-of-hearing, large- print bulletins, and even copies of the New Century Hymnal in Braille. Then there are nonphysical barriers-from theologies and ideologies to traditions-walls created by liberal or conservative labels or reputations, or a generational difference. (With regard to the last one, I remember visiting a church on the West Coast built primarily for retirees-very accessible, indeed, but with no rooms or facilities or programs for children! "Young families and children are not welcome here," is what that church was saying loud and dear.) There are other nonphysical barriers in our churches like praying the Lord's Prayer only one way and turning others off. Or the prayer of our Lord, like the doxology, is not printed on the bulletin, making nonparticipants of "unchurched" people or those who have not been around for some time. I've heard of worshipers, even pastors, who refuse to come to a particular church that sings only from one particular hymnal-either because it's old and obsolete, or it's too new and has "strange" (usually meaning inclusive or different) language in it. My family and I were in Chicago one summer many years ago to attend an alumni gathering and were invited to attend Sunday worship with a newly-gathered Asian congregation meeting in a chapel of a large inner city church. In the absence of directional signs, we found ourselves in the main sanctuary. The ushers of this non-Asian congregation (owners of the facilities) met us at the door and one of them said, "You7re in the wrong church," and then directed us to the Asian congregations meeting place. Wrong church, indeed! An inhospitable, non- welcoming church it was, but sadly bearing the Name of the One who said, "Come unto me, all... " or "make disciples of all nations." A church that does not practice universal accessibility- and knows it!-is truly the "wrong church:' A friend of mine from Toronto, Canada, a former seminary classmate from Indonesia, came to my installation in June 2000, in Cleveland. To mark the occasion, he gave me a gift, a book by Jean Vanier, Becoming Human. In a chapter titled "From Exclusion to Inclusion: A Path to Healing," the author cites the story in Luke (chap. 16) about the poor man Lazarus and the unnamed rich man; after death, the former ended up with Abraham (heaven?) while the latter suffered in Hades. Separated by an economic chasm in human life, they were spatially separated in the afterlife. The writer addresses exclusivism in human society: "There is an endless list of those whom we may exclude; every one of us, we may be sure, is on someone's list: the homeless, the sick, the dying, the young, the old, the weak, the disabled, the stranger, and the immigrant, those with AIDS. . . ." Vanier writes of the fear of difference that leads to lack of concern about others who are dissimilar: Who are the different? They are the people who suffer poverty, brokenness, disabilities, or loneliness. They cry out to us for help, these millions named Lazarus. Often, they five in discomfort while others live in comfort. Their cries become dangerous for those of us who five in comfort. If we listen to their cries and open our hearts, it will cost us something. So we pretend not to hear the cry and so exclude them. But listen to their cries we must and open our hearts we will, even if it costs us something, as it should. Otherwise, it'll cost us our faith, our witness, and our proper sense of humanity. And we don't want that. The Local Church Ministries seek to partner with other settings of the church in listening to the cries for universal accessibility-and doing something about them. Multiple staff teams and various program units have in their mandates a ministry to, with, and for people with disabilities. Advocates, constituency groups, and members of our Boards of Directors add their "war cry" and hold us accountable to such a vital and urgent ministry. The mission imperative of becoming a church that is truly "accessible to all" is the ministry of all of God's people. May it be so? Sidebar: Indeed, there are many barriers or walls, both physical and nonphysical, in any given church that show it to be an unwelcoming place, intentionally or not. In a church that seeks to become an inclusive faith community, so much of what we are and what we do, unfortunately, excludes others, or says so, loudly or subtly without meaning to.

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive
Edith Guffey, Associate General Minister I think my first real, up-dose experience and exposure to the reality of life for persons with disabilities was in my friendship with Valerie Russell. During the years that Valerie served as the Executive Director of the Office for Church and Society, we became good friends. Following her stroke, when she allowed me, I took her shopping, to dinner, or to other events and places. I began for the first time to really understand how much the world is designed for those who don't regularly face the additional challenges of walking, opening doors, getting out of cars ... and the list goes on and on. Although my friendship with Valerie was an up-dose and personal look at the problems peoples with disabilities face, my own struggle with a recurring ankle problem brought those realities home even more. Following surgery in 1998, I spent about eight weeks in a wheelchair in a house that was not designed for wheelchairs. I understood, at least to some extent, the additional time and challenges that many face on a daily basis of dressing and navigating the world. I was grateful for an office building that takes accessibility seriously so that I could get around reasonably well. I have always been supportive of making our churches and buildings accessible, but I don't know that I ever felt passionate about it. It has been something that was an "of course we should do that: 'I know and have experienced the passion of persons who serve on the UCC Disabilities Ministries and understand that passion now, just as I understand the passion I have about many things that are at the core of my very being. It is important that our statements of being a multiracial and a multicultural church also include statements about being a church accessible to all. We don't always know who has a disability or who with a disability might come to our churches. Accessibility is a sign of welcome to whoever comes. When I go to a church that has taken actions to remove physical barriers, that has large print worship bulletins, pew cuts for wheelchairs, or assisted listening devices, I began to form a picture of a community of faith that is conscious of being inclusive. Even though I may not need any of these things, it tells me this church sees itself as a welcoming and open community and wants any person who might come to that church to be able to be fully included in the worship experience. We simply cannot be an inclusive church if there are barriers that keep certain persons from the full participation in the life of our churches. I do believe that my experience in being friends with Valerie, and seeing her live as a person with a disability, opened my eyes in a way that doesn't happen by reading words on pieces of papers. My own experience, while minor in the whole scheme of things, has given me a glimpse of the importance of removing any barriers that might exist that prevent persons from becoming involved and in our churches and in our life in the national setting of the church as well. Personal experiences are life-changing and having persons with disabilities as part of our worshiping communities, as part of our meetings, as part of our governing boards bring us perspectives and experiences that are irreplaceable. Even as I write this, I know that we are not always able to do and be all that we might want to be. Having served as the Administrator of the General Synod since 1995, I am very conscious in our planning to look carefully at hotels and convention centers for accessibility. It's a quality we take very seriously and one that we continue working hard at in our planning. Sometimes we fall short -- and when we do, we use what we learned for the next event we are planning and ways to continually meet the challenges of being a church that is accessible to all. We are learning ... it was helpful to hear that referring to paper by color is a problem for those who are color blind, or having people stand to be counted for a particular vote could be a problem ... how could we not have thought of that? The UCC Disabilities Ministry is an important partner in this work and a resource that we have begun to call on more frequently. I hope the day will come when we all really understand and all of us will claim more fully the call to be a church that is truly accessible to all. From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

Accessible Chancels - (06/07/2000)

Pastor and 13-year-old acolyte, both wheelchair users, have ramp to access the chancel. Lincoln's Northeast UCC views things differently because of Scott Pigsley and Diana Coberly. Scott, 13-year-old son of Gina and Jerry Pigsley, knows God sees the person inside his body with spina bifida. "When God looks at me, God looks over that I'm in a wheelchair and sees a normal person." Scott says of Diana, "Not everybody has a minister who gets around in a wheelchair. The first time I met Diana, I felt happy. We both have a person who knows what we go through. It (her ministry) says people can do whatever they want to do." Northeast's first chancel ramp had allowed Scott to light candles with his friends, but he needed a push from his dad. The present ramp, built after the minister's arrival, follows proper incline code. "It's a pretty caring church," he said. "Now Diana and I are thinking about getting downstairs-. Things like this tell people in wheelchairs that we won't banish you from our church if you come in." "Diana is a role model," Jerry Pigsley said, "a godsend in that this was my son's confirmation year, so their relationship is even deeper: Clergy with disabilities have much to share on a spiritual basis. Diana has broken many disability stereotypes." As access committee member, Pigsley has seen his church "expand in spirit to look beyond chair and disability. However," he said, "resolving the puzzles of making a church fully welcoming takes time." Joe Geist, moderator when the interim began, said his church is more in tune now that Northeast must continue to increase accessibility, "no by law, but from the human aspect People like Diana have so much to offer that to overlook that gift because you are not ready to provide the necessary things..." Necessary things include chance ramp, accessible main floor bathrooms minimal close-in parking, and remova of the front door offset. Trustees an checking into expanded parking electric door openers, and lower level accessibility. All members will benefit. Resources, such as statewide Barrier Removal and Information Centers (800-476-9700), are available for free, onsite consultation. Stewardship Committee Chair Nancy Harms said the church set aside a fund for accessibility issues. She said she has grown in tolerance and awareness of things she once took for granted. "I hope people here have learned that we would want for others what you would want for yourself." Diana Coberly said that several individuals at Northeast have changed forever because of her presence. "They may even speak up down the road and translate that into changes we will see in this church. Changing attitudinal habits takes time. I once took repeated insensitivity personally. Now, I understand that the change which allows persons with disabilities to participate fully in the life of the church only happens once it is in people's hearts." - db Reading the Signs Columns are shared for sharing by the Nebraska Conference.

Editor's note: The following article by Rev. Donna Schaper, Association Minister, Massachusetts Conference, originally appeared in Colleague, September, 1999. I took an unexpected class trip last month when I pulled a tendon playing tennis. I found myself at a national convention of my church for a full week rooming with and in a wheelchair. When the tendon insisted that I couldn't walk, I couldn't imagine not going to the Synod, and I couldn't imagine going. Thus the compromise of the wheelchair and the non-stop joke from old, good friends about how "long they had wanted to push me around." The wheelchair was the equivalent of a college degree. I have done "plunges" before to poor communities or broken hearted places, the South Side of Chicago, Bosnia, Beijing. I have taken trips from privilege to non-privilege and had my eyes forced open. The wheelchair was a whole new voyage. It showed me a world I never even wanted to go to; now that I have been, I am astonished at the number of other people already living waist high. They/we are everywhere. I have to confess that I used to think there were too many handicapped parking places, too many large stall toilets. Now I wonder if there are enough. From my erect position, I simply didn't see all the wheels. They were invisible to me -- the same way many other people remain invisible until we walk or wheel in their moccasins. The wheelchair was a class trip because it moved me from the world of able status to the world of disabled status. I never got to that much coveted "differently able" status because I was in shock when I wasn't in denial: I couldn't walk but wouldn't really admit it to myself I found my temporary paralysis so threatening that I denied it in full for three days, thereby increasing my injury substantially. I did learn some different abilities but only by the brute force of curb cuts not being where they should have been. Why curb cuts as higher education? One curb cut can send you home if you can't walk. The city of our convention (Providence, Rhode Island) had curb cuts everywhere around the convention center -- except for one, two blocks downhill and two blocks uphill from my hotel, depending on one's direction. That one meant getting out of the chair, which I could do with serious pain. I wonder what those who can't hobble do. I wonder how they feel about cities that miss cutting certain curbs. Why deny injury? Because some of us always want to be in charge, that's why. We want to push others around, not be pushed around. We want to help, not be helped. For those who have spent longer than a week in a wheelchair, perhaps a life, I apologize. My week was short, and the whole time I knew I would move again. Others' experience is much different: wheelchairs are home. It was amazing to see who had manners and who didn't when they approached my chair. Many people knew me and had not seen me for the two years since our last convention. Some asked accusingly, "What are you doing in a wheelchair?" I told one I had AIDS, just to silence her accusation. Others approached more gently, "Do you mind if I ask what happened?" I was grateful to these; the latter frightened me. What if 76 40925 76 31416 0 0 59163 0 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 92129I had developed MS or AIDS? How could I tell them with that edge in their voice? Christ's body was broken. Is it a sin to be broken? Is it a shame to be Un-able? Must we be able, always? Is not broken the prelude to open? Are we not broken, open? A little of me opened because of my recent voyage. I got to know how deeply embarrassed I, and many, are at weakness. How much I want to be a controlling giver, not a vulnerable receiver. I also got to know floors and ledges and curb cuts, stairs, elevators, and what happens if you ram your chair into a duck taped group of wires on a floor. (You flip out.) I now love ramps. But a ramp is not enough to provide dignity to people who can't walk: the broken part of them needs affirmation by the broken part in those of us who can walk. There are barriers of architecture, communication, and attitude which also need ramping. I didn't know that till I spent a week in a wheelchair; now I know.

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

The Rev. Doris Powell has been the Director of Finance and Treasurer of the United Church of Christ since 1990. In the current structure, she is one of three officers of the Church, along with the President and the Secretary. This is not a position she ever expected to hold. But then, a lot of things in her life have not been as she expected. Until she was in her early 30s, Doris was a physically active person. She loved backpacking, canoeing, camping - any noncompetitive outdoor sport that got her into nature. She looked forward to living some day in Colorado where she planned on hiking to her heart's content. All of that changed when she was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis. For the first six months, she had constant acute pain. Then, medication and an exercise regimen began to help, and she felt very thankful not to be in as much pain. In the early months of her illness she experienced an identity crisis, asking God, "Who am I? The competent, active person I used to be, or the sidelined person I am now?" She also asked, "Is it better to accept my limitations, or to fight and deny them?" At the same time, she moved to a new community, and her new friends there responded to her as a person with a serious illness, which was not what she was used to. It seemed as if they were responding to a person she didn't even recognize. When she visited her former community, people there were shocked because she was so different from how they had known her. It was a confusing and troubling time. Before her diagnosis Doris thought she knew about tough times. There were periods when she thought life was very hard and she felt very negative about it. Though she acknowledges that this negativism had its pleasures, she began not to like this part of herself, especially how she was taking it out on other people. She felt stuck and prayed for guidance. And, she had a friend who became her role model in finding more positives in life, who coped gracefully with much worse circumstances than Doris was coping with at that time, and who helped her learn to see things in a different, more positive way. This was a significant change in her life. When she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, she brought that understanding as a resource into this new situation. And she was able, in time, to find the answers to the questions she had been asking. Attending the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA, was part of her response to her new circumstances. In leaving her career as a Certified Public Accountant, she acted on her sense of discipleship, wanting to study and understand her faith better, and to learn to deal with the hard questions of life. Her sense of call was unclear when she started seminary, and she expected that it would be clarified as her studies progressed. As she started her third year though, she still had not discerned her call. So, when a friend asked if she could send Doris a 'resume' for the position of UCC Director of Finance and Treasurer, she prayed about it and thought it worth exploring. She was surprised at every step in that process that the Search Committee still wanted to continue dialogue with her. Despite how hard it was to be sure where God was leading her, Doris trusted that if she pursued different avenues to see where they would lead and believed that the other people involved in the process were also trying to discern God's readings, her path would become clear. And, it did. She has been amazed that her gifts in accounting match well with serving the church as Director of Finance and Treasurer. It's not what she had expected, yet it has felt so right. This confirmed for Doris the answers she received to the questions she asked God when she was first diagnosed. After much time in prayer, the answer to "Who am I" was, "You are my beloved child. I know who you are. Who you've been and who you are becoming are both a part of you. Accept what is, but don't let it determine what your life is going to be. This won't determine whether you can be happy or not. You are my disciple, and don't think you're going to sit on the sidelines. I have something for you to do." Doris finds that she appreciates life much more than she had: the beauty of flowers, of sunshine, of many things she didn't really see before. She became more compassionate as she realized that everyone struggles with something that raises these difficult questions in their lives. She understood that we don't have a clue to that of which we are capable of coping until we realize that we must choose to give up or find a way to deal with it. When she has seen other people facing with courage what seemed to be even worse situations, she has found inspiration. She has learned what her happiness really depends upon: living life, despite tough circumstances, with grace and hope. She sees that being friendly, kind, and thoughtful helps others return the same to her. These have been life-changing "Aha!" moments. All these insights have assisted her in coping with her latest challenge: having both of her knees replaced in the fall, 1999, as recommended by her surgeon. She asked many questions and researched rehabilitation facilities to determine what was involved in recovery, and decided to proceed with the surgery. She found the support group at the rehabilitation facility very helpful and observed how much each person's attitude impacted recovery. She also felt humbled to see people dealing with strokes and other devastating injuries whose prospects for recovery were not as promising as hers. Doris knew already that "God gives us support and strengthens us and lifts us up," but she felt an almost miraculous awareness of that when she was in rehabilitation. Her recovery was actually much easier then she had imagined, with every day seeming very doable. She wondered how that could be until she remembered how many people were praying for her. "God holds us up more than we realize all the time. There is so much support there." Now comes another challenge as she waits, along with the rest of the national staff, to learn what the new structure will mean for her. Since her surgery, she has much more energy than before, which gives her courage, to consider roles that previously seemed impossible. She doesn't feel invested in any particular position, praying that she will be led to a place to serve where she will be happy, where her gifts will be well used, and that will have the right amount of challenge for her. As with the many unexpected things that have happened in her life, who knows what the next step will be? Yet in the midst of that uncertainty, what is clear is that, wherever and with whomever Doris serves, the people around her will be privileged to share in the gifts that God has given to the world through this compassionate, strong, faith-filled woman. It is a blessing to UCC Disabilities Ministries that the Rev. Doris Powell is a part of our work.
Sidebar: "You are my beloved child. I know who you are. Who you've been and who you are becoming are both a part of you. Accept what is, but don't let it determine what your life is going to be. This won't determine whether you can be happy or not. You are my disciple, and don't think you are going to sit on the sidelines. I have something for you to do."
Editor's Note: Since the writing of this article, Rev. Doris Powell has been named staff person for Pastors and Seminarians, Stewardship and Church Finances

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive
You open your church's front door and enter without a thought. If advancing years or a temporary, progressive, or permanent disability has diminished your strength, you may still open the door enough for a foot or shoulder wedge. Then, thrusting your body against the door, you are in. That is, if you could grasp the handle while managing a walker or cane. Or, you pound on the door and wait because you are a child or your wheelchair reach does not afford the leverage necessary to budge the door. For some, the door gets heavier each year. Overnight, a church door can become a wall. While we are not under American Disabilities Act requirements, churches do set a community example by opening our own doors. Jeanne Walter, Disability Rights and ADA Specialist at Lincoln's League of Human Dignity, said that ADA guidelines relate to door width and steps but say nothing about weight. Neither do they currently require automatic doors. In addition to advocacy work, the League administers Barrier Removal and Information Centers (BRICs). BRIC's consultation services include on-site assessments, recommendations on the most cost-effective and best solutions, and implementation plans. Phone 1-800-742-7338 V/TDD. Courage in the struggle for justice and for peace comes to people one by one. A person's tenacity in continuing to move forward does spring from small, quiet, surprising offerings by perceptive individuals and willing church committees. By thinking universally and responding with compassion, churches do eliminate attitudinal and architectural barriers. The architectural principle of universal design involves designing all products, buildings, and exterior space to be usable by all people to the greatest extent possible. Follo Society-and-Culture, Disabilities, at Universal Design Internet links . UCC churches have another way to participate with each other in building projects. Cornerstone Fund provides low-cost loans for money needed to improve accessibility, renovate or expand facilities, or to refinance existing real estate debt. Pooled investments from local churches and members enable Cornerstone Fund to pass by fees normally associated with similar loans. At www.ucc.org, visit Cornerstone Fund. Does your church employ anyone with disabilities? Trail the Assistive Technology Partnership (ATP) link on or phone 1-888-806-6287. ATP provides statewide on-site technical assistance, latest innovations, and low-cost accessibility solutions for employers. Why not complete the year by taking a closer look at reshaping your church and camping facilities so that all will be welcome regardless of one's physical capacities? Rather than being places of gradual exclusion, our churches may then continue to be builders of communion. - db Reading the Signs columns shared by Nebraska Conference are Can-do Forums about accessibility for the whole church family.

The Methodist hymn writer Jane Marshall poses a question every Christian ought to have the privilege of asking: What gift can we bring, what present, what token? What words can convey it, the joy of this day? When grateful we come, remembering, rejoicing, what song can we offer in honor and praise? (The New Century Hymnal, # 370) A church that is accessible to all is a church in which everyone is affirmed as a steward of the abundance of God's joy. We all have a gift to bring, a song to offer God in honor and praise. Instead of abundance, however, far too many operate with assumptions of scarcity. There is not enough - not enough money, not enough time, not enough ability. This is particularly challenging for persons who are regularly told by others that they do not have enough. Not enough vision. Not enough hearing. Not enough intellect. Not enough stamina. Not enough strength. Not enough coherence. Not enough memory. Not enough youth. Not enough beauty. Elevators, ramps, signers, large print, Braille, as critical as they are, only make a difference if those who have access are also affirmed as stewards of the abundance of God's joy rather than seen as persons who don't have enough to enable them to bring a gift and sing a song, in honor and praise. What's at stake in this is not only the integrity of ministry found in each of our local churches or even our denomination. The integrity of the whole church rests on this as well. Our ecumenical commitments have helped us to discover this truth as they have explored the various ways in which the body of Christ is divided. Addressing racism, sexism, homophobia, and the exclusion or demeaning of persons with disabilities is as critical to restoring a sense of wholeness to Christ's church as is our work on division resulting from differing interpretations of sacraments and the ordering of ministry. Early in the 1980's the nine member churches of the Consultation on Church Union reminded us in strong and urgent ways that physical access to facilities is an indispensable starting point, but it is not enough. Subtle patronizing of persons with disabilities, the refusal to receive such sisters and brothers as full human beings and contributing members of Christ's body, is a form of apostasy. In those early conversations of COCU people like Harold Wilke and Virginia Kreyer took leadership roles. Today we must ask, has the gift the United Church of Christ offered to our ecumenical community been received in our own church's life? Are we perpetuating notions of scarcity? Is our "accessible to all" church still burdened with the assumption that some people don't have enough of whatever it is that enables each of us to bring a gift and offer a song? Jane Marshall teaches us that we bring our gift and offer our song out of the abundance of joy, God's joy. It is a joy beyond mere happiness, a joy rooted in the wholeness of God in Christ overflowing in the lives of all the baptized. The challenge of the new century for an accessible church will be more than architectural; it will be theological. We must move beyond the apostasy of a belief in scarcity, either for all or for some, and claim the faithfulness of a recognition that in Christ there is abundance for all. Then, out of that abundance, all may ask themselves, what gift can we bring, what song can we offer, and an "accessible to all" church will become a church offering to God true honor and praise.

From the UCC DM Newsletter Archive

"Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. The main question is not 'How can we hide our wounds? so that we don't have to be embarrassed,' but 'How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?' When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers."

An inclusive ministry with persons with disabilities, chronic illness, and their families can be summed up in this excerpt from the writings of Henri Nouwen (Bread for the Journey). Nouwen, priest and scholar, shared his life with people with mental retardation as pastor of the L'Arche Daybreak community in Toronto, Canada. L'Arche is a Christian community in which people with disabilities and their assistants strive to live together in the spirit of interdependence and shared vulnerability. "Vulnerability is our seed to experiencing wholeness," Nouwen had said. His experience in the L'Arche community brought him this insight and is one upon which we need to meditate. The church has limited experience with the realities of people with disabilities living in society. Life within institutional settings has also changed, particularly in the last two decades. People with disabilities have become self-determining, educated, and responsible consumers. They do not want to be defined as passive recipients of care and discretionary charity. Religious leaders can no longer only minister to the spiritual and temporal needs of people with disabilities. They must also be cognizant of and make their presence felt in the disability movement itself. In 1971, The United Church of Christ, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Harold Wilke and Rev. Virginia Kreyer, early pioneers in Ministry of Disability, developed the model of interactional ministry of and with people with disabilities. The United Church of Christ has much of which to be proud. For example, Harold Wilke, a man who was born without arms, was present at the signing ceremony of The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. He is forever immortalized in the historical portrait as he accepted, with his foot, the pen used by President Bush in the ceremony. The early efforts of these pioneers evolved into the UCC National Committee on Persons with Disabilities. The Bylaws of this Committee call for seven active members and others (associate members). The Bylaws also require that the majority of the members on the Active Committee be persons with disabilities, family members of a person with a disability, and/or an expert on disability issues. Despite this history, matters of Social Justice for persons with disabilities are only beginning to become an issue and do not gain the respect often paid to other minority ministries in the UCC. The term Diversity seldom is used to include disability. There are more than 48 million people with disabilities in the United States. People with Disabilities are the nation's largest minority group and the only one that any person can join at any time. People with disabilities cross all racial, gender, educational, socioeconomic, and organizational lines. The fact that the disability movement in the United States has been fighting for recognition as a valid minority group has been met with more than indifference by most denominations and faith traditions. As the Americans with Disabilities Act made its way through Congress, a coalition of churches, backed by the White House, lobbied for a blanket exclusion on the grounds that to include religious institutions would violate the doctrine of the separation of church and state. Further, some denominations worried about the law's costs. Some fundamentalists were concerned that because the law covers people infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS, they might be forced to hire homosexuals. This was the ultimate pain of exclusion. We may overcome architectural barriers to our churches, but ministry with people with disabilities involves more than building a ramp. For example, the realities for a 22-year-old young man with traumatic quadriplegia are difficult ones. Jim was a handsome football player in high school and college and loved his motorcycle until the day he was forced off the road by a drunk driver. He had attended church every week with his fiancée. His church has a Caring Ministry group and a member visits with the best of intentions and for all denominations and faith the best reasons. Who is the member making this visit to the hospital? What will he/she say to this young man in the face of such a catastrophic experience? Those of us who have share 100 39829 100 39829 0 0 68670 0 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 99k d these experiences know that this initial contact will remain with him the rest of his life. It will have been the first contact with his church community after his trauma - an event of profound importance. The church's Caring Ministry can not indiscriminately choose just to "send anybody available" for such an important pastoral call. Basic ignorance of the circumstances of disability and the consequences of uninformed words and actions can be devastating. Those of us with disabilities tell our truths to others who share our reality. We do not share our truths with others who will misunderstand. We do not share stories of thoughtless and, what we perceive to be, spiritual abuse with them. We are embarrassed to say, "You hurt me deeply when you told me if I had more faith I would walk again." We fear our personal stories of exclusion will be minimized, or not believed at all, and dismissed with comments such as, "I'm sure she didn't mean that, Honey." As a community and a culture of persons with disabilities we have shared these stories with each other, but have too often remained isolated and alienated from both the church and, ultimately, from God. Ministry with persons with disabilities is one for which very few, including ordained chaplains and pastors, are sufficiently prepared.
Editor's Note: The above is excerpted from a presentation by Rita Fiero at the Convocation on Health and Human Service Ministry, March, 1999.

 

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive
Glade UCC is in Frederick County MD.

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7, NRSV)

Recently, after a funeral in a community near Walkersville, NM, the daughter-in-law of the deceased was talking with David Denham. She shared that she grew up in the Glade Reformed Church. He responded by commenting on how wonderful it is that Glade has redesigned its facilities to be accessible, to which this woman responded, "Now my mother, who uses a wheelchair, can go to church again." This mother was present on March 15, 1998 when Glade UCC rededicated and celebrated its modified church facilities. Glade UCC, founded in 1750, a congregation with deep German Reformed roots, is located in Frederick County, MD. The current facilities were built in 1896, a time when church structures characteristically were multi-level. In 1995 the Rev. Dr. Gerald Hanberry, the newly called pastor, arrived. He was seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit for a faith-based project, with a message of being open to all, that would guide his congregation into the Twenty-First Century. Gerry found that people wanted to reshape their facility so that all would be welcome regardless of one's physical capacities. This required the redesigning of an older multi-level structure so that the hallways and pathways, bathrooms and meeting rooms, the sanctuary, with the exception of the chancel area, and educational facilities would be accessible. They did it! Glade found support from the conference and association. The Central Atlantic IDA Task Force (Task Force on Issues of Disability and Accessibility) was a resource for information such as how to engage an architect. The Catoctin Association Church Development Commission provided a $500 start-up grant which was used to hire an architect. The modifications cost $515,000 with the UCC Cornerstone Fund (of the Board for Homeland Ministries, Division of Evangelism and Local Church Development), a resource designed to help local churches proceed with such undertakings, providing a $185,000 loan. After a church makes its facility accessible, it may not realize that accessibility is more than a physical reality. The atmosphere at the church needs to reflect that accessibility and be a warm and inviting place. The pastor, Gerry Hanberry, talked about what has happened at Glade to make that occur. "We have talked a lot about what it looks like, what it feels like, and what it means to move from a welcoming to an inviting to a sending church. We have placed greeters at the entrance doors of the building not just inside the sanctuary. Greeters and ushers wear name tags. We have added large print bulletins as well as hearing devices. With people in wheelchairs almost all the time now, this has raised peoples' awareness. "Before we were accessible the perception was that no one needed the accessibility; (that) there were no people with disabilities. Now that we are accessible, and there, in fact, are people with physical disabilities (participating), the attitude has changed. "Our theme is 'everyone can come in the front door.' We have talked about what that means. We have also had a series of workshops during Lent, 1998 on 'Living Together in Community with our Differences ... in: Age, Race, Sexual Orientation, and Religion.' This was well attended and people were very thoughtful in their responses."
(The editor has had occasion to attend Glade for Sunday worship and can affirm that it is a joy to worship and participate in the life of such a welcoming congregation.)

What are the ingredients of change? In the case of Glade UCC, we witness from its people an empowering faith vision. Too, we observe a meaningful network of support from the association, conference, and the wider church. NCPWD is ready to guide your church to needed resources and to lend support. There are written resources to help you get started. There are people resources, persons from other churches who have had experiences with church accessibility issues and with resolving the problems. Within the Division of Evangelism and Local Church Development/United Church Board for Homeland Ministries there are the UCC Fellowship of Architects and financial resources for local churches. Does your conference have a Task Force or Committee dedicated to accessibility like the IDA TF of the Central Atlantic Conference? Such a group is central to developing conference-wide energy focused on accessibility. NCPWD can assist your Conference with starting a Task Force or Committee with the help of someone with experience.

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive