This looks good, but I do have one question. Could you please define what you mean by people who are different? I'd like to think we are all different.

 I will need to edit "1) On your web site, and other communications, say that you welcome people living with disabilities, illness, and those who are a different.

To "1) On your web site, and other communications, say that you strive to include people living with disabilities, illness, and those who are a different,. 

This change is necessary, because it is my understanding that it is not possible to welcome all.  All communities have limits, and that accessibility  is a process that neither demands or ask for perfection.

 That is true we are all different and have different strengths and different limitaions.

the reason I use the term is for two reasons. 1) many who are traditional thought of as disabled, like many of the deaf, and many people with high functioning autism, reject the term disabled, and use something like different, or differently abled.

Some people who are deaf will say they just communicate differently, and live in the world differently. They are only disabled when dealing with a barriers. barriers exist for all, howevr if you have a difference that not many people have, or understand, than you will have more problems. Like wise people with colour blindness, or a different sexual orientation have not been considered disabled for years. However they face barriers too. Like bad attitudes, or ignorance. Also other groups like those who have to work on Sundays face barriers, (The only time there are UCC services in Ottawa on a weekly basis is Sunday morning, thus this barrier of time exists for the, the solution might be awareness, and someone starting something on Sunday Night.

The main focus of the accessiblechurch.ca is disability, but since barriers face others, I want people to feel free to include the same type of methods to deal with 

and realize tha differeeent people need different adaptions ie a higher toilet is usually easier for an adult in a wheelchair to transfer onto but a lower toilet is easier for someone who is short!  Having different options is good! as one size does not fit all!

Hard of hearing receivers.

Large print orders of worship.

IT

Russ

 One reason why a site focused on barriers facing those with disabilities, includes others (apart from the fact that many who we consider disabled, do not accept the term, or concept for themselves.), is that often a new door opening to allow one group to come to church, can also be used by other groups who face different barriers.  

Thanks, Thanks I will add something referring to this issue before putting on the web site.

Thank you for the explanation Alex - it made it a lot more clear for me. It might be a good idea to post that definition somewhere on your site.

One of the challenges in my church right now revolves around a child with a severe mental and physical disability. She doesn't come regularly, but when she is there she requires a one-on-one volunteer to be with her in Sunday School. The problem is, aside from her parents, the only one who knows how to work with her properly is me. The reason that is a problem is because I am also the only Sunday School teacher for that age group! When she has come, others have come in to help but they aren't always really able to include her because they are not familiar with her. We are hoping to put together a training session for people who might be interested in working with her where they can meet her, play with her and I can give them some tips on how to include her (so when Sunday morning rolls around I can focus on all of the children, instead of just her). I know her very well because I have been working with her in the community for almost 10 years (first as a volunteer, now as a paid position).

thanks

I will mention this before I publish it on the web site accessiblechurch.ca

Can I also add;

Makle sure that signs in your church that point the way to services such as the office, washrooms, entrance and exit, are high contrast with plain fonts. My Mother often has difficulty reading the traditional black-on-brass signs that most churches have

One of the ways accessibility can sometimes be achieved is matching people with two different disabilities.   A theologian who is blind wrote about her experiences sharing an office with a person who used a wheelchair.  By being in the same office, each one could do what the other could not when needed. 

Often people with disabilities are over looked as a resources for volunteers.  Using myself as an example, I dislike small talk, and while I enjoy Sunday Services, I often leave right after, or help in the Kitchen as running the dish washer and dealing with the fewer numbers of people in the Kitchen is more enjoyable, than being in a noisy gym trying to make small talk. So I meet a need, by doing so, and I am also included in the church community by getting to know people while working. I can chat while volunteering, but also avoid the large noisy crowd, and those moments when I do not have something to say. (Usually I want an intense disscussion of the Sermon, or the meanings behind a hymn, however I am too intense for most who prefer small talk and catching up.

So I am going to suggest that among other things that you might do, is look for a person that would enjoy or benefit from being included does not like the services. People with sensory challenges (high function autistics) that find the organ too loud and perhaps is unable to teach a regular class, but perhaps could deal with a high needs person for an hour, while having occasional help, and individual training, over a greater period of time. If you find someone like that you will benefit both persons as well as the greater community.

From reading Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire, by Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker. I am under the impression that this is one way the early Church healed people. The ill and the disabled were not "cured", but the negative effects of being ill or disabled were diminished or eliminated, by having people take care of each others needs.  It explains how the early church was able to do so much, when most of its members lived in poverty.

Thanks that is a good point, If I do not included it in this article I will in another one soon.

Thanks for the suggestions Alex. In this case, there are a few requirements for the volunteer. First and foremost, the person must want to do it! In addition they need to be independantly mobile, because she loves to move and needs someone to be within arms reach of her because she has no concept of consequences (for example she sometimes like to try and eat her cochlear implant which has both small parts and a computer inside). The volunteer also needs to be able to do art activities hand over hand - which, surprisingly, requires some strength (sitting still is not a strong point for the child - and when she wants to do something that is not the activity at hand, she will struggle). There are definitely some people have disabilities who could handle her (and would want to), but I am not aware of any in our congregation. That said, if someone steps forward with the desire to help - regardless of their abilities - I am certainly willing to work with them (perhaps, if they are not able to help her, they could teach the lesson that week and I could help her).

It is difficult to find anyone to volunteer doing certain tasks, that have many different requirements. That is what makes someone like you so special.

I would not expect the practice of putting two people together is easy. It's likely more so when finding two differently abler peopled who's difference match and do not conflict in abilities. Is might work only in 1 case out of 100. Your specific case might be unique, howeve often I have found that if you gave one person with specific challenges in a congregations, there are likely hundreds more advise the country.

That is one of the reasons behind point number 3. Having people meet regularly to discussion access and disability. Even if regular is only once a year. Sharing challenges and talking about them is needed to be able to overcome them. It is sometimes hard for people who are always the ones raising the issue. Especially since there are so many different ways to reduce barriers and deal with associated problems. Each church is unique, and the solutions for each community can be different from what others have done.

Also look beyond the existing membership. Perhaps a spouse of a member, or a child, or a neighbor of someone, or someone that participates in other activities of the church besides worship, who believes in community and is a good person. They might not attend church because of being different, or for some other reason they are not interested in church, however they might desire community and have an interest in children, or those with special needs. Again it's not likely, but it is possible there are people like that around that are a match, but by talking about it we are more likely to find them, if they exist.

By talking about them, and bringing in those who do not think about them regularly often solutions or people to help can be found.

Alex,

Our church has multiple people with disabilities (just like, I suspect, many United Churches across the country). I just don't think there are any who would match well with this particular child. If someone who was a relative or friend of someone in the congregation wanted to volunteer and they had a disability that would make them potentially compatible with this child - I would welcome them into this ministry with a smile on my face and open arms! It's just a matter of connecting with those people.

I have to say, by and large I think that our church is doing very well with inclusion. We have large print bulletins, an FM system for the hearing impaired, braille on most of our signs, an elevator (this really impressed me when I first started attending) and the desire to include everyone. We are in the midst of a sanctuary renewal process which will make our chancel fully wheelchair accessible (it's the only part of the church that isn't). We've had a challenging children attend over the years and our attitude has always been - how can we adapt our programming so that they may be fully included? I say that the children were (are) challenging because they have challenged the leaders in many ways (some because of their physical needs and some because of their emotional needs and some because of their intellectual needs). We've always risen to the occasion and I have learned so much from these wee ones!

Hi somegirlfromcan,

you are discussing this young girl and mention that her parents work with her too.

I wonder if they also have at home help in the form of a teacher or aide or.......

Often families with severly disabled children have several helpers.  Would it be possible to consider hiring one of these people ( if they exist) to come a do a training session or possibly hire them, through the congregation, to work with this child on Sunday?