Eliminate barriers
In Romans 8:38-39 Paul assures us that nothing ?in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.? He did not, however, assure us that nothing will be able to separate us from full participation in the life of Christ?s church.
Many of us, especially as we age, will find barriers to entering the church, hearing the pastor, reading the bulletin, participating in the worship service, or engaging with others in the life of the church.
According to the Center on Aging and Older Adult Ministries of the General Board of Discipleship, more than half of all United Methodists are age 60 or older. As we age, more of us will have a disability that limits our activities and can keep us from attending church or bar us from full participation in the congregation.
The ?Chartbook on Disability in the U.S.? reports that almost one in five people has a disability. Of these, half can be considered to have a severe disability, meaning that they cannot perform one or more vital life functions without assistance.
For those of us who are or become disabled, entry steps, stairs, a lack of hand rails, narrow corridors, outdated bathrooms, pew configuration and other barriers, including steps to a pulpit or lectern, keep us from full access to worship or active participation in the life of the church. It may be one of the reasons that 42 percent of
senior Americans do not attend any church on a regular basis.
What responsibility does a local church have for removing barriers? Section 2532.6 of the Book of Discipline requires the Board of Trustees ?to conduct or cause to be conducted an annual accessibility audit ... (to) identify what ... barriers exist that impede the full participation of people with disabilities? and requires the Board to ?make plans and determine priorities for the elimination of all such barriers.?
A model ?Local Church Accessibility Survey? published by the General Board of Discipleship can be found at http://www.gbod.org/coa/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=3777
Larry Slagle is a member of Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C.
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