Exclusion-Proof Your Sanctuary
Identify and remove architectural barriers for people with disabilities

When beginning to make the architectural and structural changes necessary to welcome people with disabilities, start with things that can be accomplished relatively easily. What is needed are visible signs of change, not just lengthy committee meetings and hand-wringing.

It is true that aesthetic and historic preservation considerations must be taken into account as welcoming congregations make plans to adapt their buildings. And some of these adaptions will be expensive. It is not an acceptable argument, however, to delay because of "how few of 'them' we have." In God's realm, the number of users is irrelevant.

Plan a fundraising strategy that involves everyone, with and without disabilities, young and old, rich and not-so-rich. Think about everything from bake sales and benefit dramas to expensive physical changes made in loving memory of a deceased relative. In addition, remember that some religious groups grant low-interest loans for these undertakings.

Begin by consulting members of the congregation and their relatives who are architects, contractors, carpenters and plumbers. Their skills are needed and this is their day to shine! Don't forget to consult, in every phase of evaluation and planning, persons who are users of wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and canes. By not doing so, many churches and synagogues have made well-intended but inadequate, even wasteful changes. It goes without saying that all new construction or remodeling should meet current, local access codes.

Use this list to review architectural barriers. Check for the following:

Parking and paths

• Curb cuts to sidewalks and ramps to entrances
• Pathways at least 48 inches wide with a slope of no more than 5%
• Level resting space around doors, 5 X 5 feet
• Marked accessible parking spaces close to accessible entrances

Ramps and stairs

• Ramps 36 inches wide minimum extending one foot in length for every inch or rise, a 1:12 ratio. Thus, a ramp replacing an 8-inch step must extend 8 feet.
• Handrails on at least one side of the ramp 32 inches above the surface
• Protection over ramps from rain and snow, and non-skid surfaces
• Stairs with handrails on both sides 32 inches above the step and extending a foot beyond the top and bottom of the stairs
• Stairs with rubber treads
• Slightly raised abrasive strips on top steps to warn people with limited sight where stairs begin

Doors and doorways

• Door openings 32 inches wide or more
• Doors that can be opened by exerting 5 pounds of pressure
• Doors that can be opened electrically by the push of a button
• Lever handles or push bars

Worship space

• Seating spaces with extra legroom for people using crutches, walkers, braces or casts
• Scattered spaces or "pew cuts" for the users of wheelchairs who prefer to be seated in the main body of the congregation, not in the front or back of the sanctuary and not in the aisles. These pew cuts can easily be made by shortening several pews by 36 inches.
• Area with lectern and microphones accessible to those with mobility impairments
• Adequate lighting directed on the face of the speaker for those who read lips, as well as adequate general lighting in the sanctuary
• Bookstands or lap boards available for those unable to hold prayer books, hymnals or Bibles

Bathrooms

• At least one accessible bathroom, ideally one on each floor. These may be unisex, as in an airplane or a home.
• One toilet stall 36 inches wide with 48 inches clear depth from door closing to front of commode and a 32-inch door that swings out
• Ideally, a 5 X 5 toilet stall with a 32-inch door that swings out and two grab bars, one adjacent to the commode and one behind the commode to facilitate side transfer from a wheelchair
• A hospital or shower curtain providing privacy for wheelchair users if metal dividers are removed and other renovations are not possible at the moment
• A sink with 29 inches of clearance from floor to bottom of the sink
• Towel dispensers no higher than 40 inches from the floor
• Lever-type faucet controls and hardware on floors

Water fountains

• Water fountain mounted with basin no more than 36 inches from the floor, easily operated from wheelchairs
• As an interim measure, a supply of paper cups mounted next to the water fountain, or a water cooler

Elevators and lifts

• Elevators or chair lifts to ensure access to the sanctuary and all major program areas
• Controls placed at 54 inches or less from the elevator floor, reachable from a wheelchair
• Brailled plaques on elevator control panels
• A handrail on at least one side, 32 inches from the floor

General notes on floorplan, pg. 24:

• The floor plan shown is for a Lutheran church. It can be adapted to serve other faith communities.
• All exterior entrances into the building and interior room entrances have doors that are 36 inches minimum in width.
• All exterior pathways are level with the doorsill of each entrance.
• All access ramps within the sanctuary are designed to blend into their respective areas.
• The main seating area offers more than 15 shortened pews, scattered so that users of wheelchairs can be seated within the main body of the congregation, not in the aisles.
• Aisles are designed for ease of wheelchair maneuverability.
• Scattered pews are set with amplification devices.

Excerpted with permission from the award-winning fifth edition of That All May Worship, a publication by the Religion and Disability Program of the National Organization on Disability. Prices vary between $6 and $10 per copy depending on the volume ordered. To order or obtain more information, contact the N.O.D. at (202) 293-5960.

It Begins In the Heart
National disability campaign acknowledges barriers to worship

Alan Reich, father of the bride, also serves as President of the National Organization on Disability.

The Religion and Disability Program of the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) is sponsoring a campaign challenging American congregations to welcome people with all types of disabilities as full and active participants. The 2000 in the Year 2000 Accessible Congregations Campaign is based on the theme "Access: It Begins In the Heart." As vice president and director Ginny Thornburgh says, "There are no barriers to God's love. There should be no barriers in God's house."

"True religious access is about opening hearts, minds and doors to millions of Americans with disabilities who seek a full life of faith," Thornburgh says.

Joining the campaign means a congregation acknowledges that it has barriers, both physical and attitudinal, to the full participation of people with disabilities. By joining, a congregation commits to begin the process of removing these barriers. Each participating congregation commits to three principles:

• In our congregation, people with disabilities are valued as individuals, having been created in the image of God.
• Our congregation is endeavoring to remove barriers of architecture, communications and attitudes that exclude people with disabilities from full and active participation.
• People, with and without disabilities, are encouraged in our congregation to practice their faith and use their gifts in worship, service, study and leadership.

Thornburgh recommends that members and friends with disabilities be asked to suggest ways to improve congregational access. "They are the experts," she says.

Working with N.O.D.'s Religion and Disability Program costs nothing. The Accessible Congregation Campaign information packet and commitment certificate are free. Obviously, however, a congregation committed to removing the barriers to the full participation of people with disabilities will incur costs, but these funds can be raised from a caring congregation, Thornburgh says.

More information about this campaign and committed congregations listed by state is available on the Web at www.nod.org or by calling (202) 293-5960.