Top tips to make your church more accessible

Enabling All Awards

You are invited to join a growing movement showing people they matter to God and belong to the family! 

Details for the Enabling Awards

Revd Zoe Heming talk to Bishop Michal abooutthe Enabling All awards

 

Enabling Actions

  • Regularly during the notices invite feedback from anyone with comments or suggestions of what doesnt work well for you if you have some kind of impairment.
  • Speak to people we know who may already have suggestions for challenges they have.
  • Agree as a PCC that all those leading worship invite people to remain seated if they are more comfortable every time they invite the congregation to stand.
  • Make multiple copies of the services in large print.
  • Test hearing loop before each service.
  • Plan Sides people/ Welcomer training to inc. to explore guidlines and resources. They are literally a Godsend in this ministry!
  • Sides people to help people up/down steps as part of welcome.
  • Sides people to remind each row that it is fine to remain in their pew to have Communion brought to them.
  • Encourage each person who has limited mobility to sit somewhere that they can remain seated and still see, esp. during Eucharistic prayer.
  • Improve signage to be Dementia Friendly - clear and without words.
  • Re-print service sheets to include pictures which make it easier to follow when words muddle.
  • Make a church Memory Box (& Fiddle Pinny) available to offer to anyone who may find it hard to sit through a service, or who is feeling disorientated through Dementia or memory loss.
  • Offer people a time out space for those who cannot sit during a whole service.

A Questionnaire for PCC's and the ministry to consider

  1. Are there already disabled people or people on in your church who have an impairment of hearing/ sight/ movement/ learning/ memory? (Almost certainly, yes!)
  2. Have you asked them what their struggles and suggestions are? They are your best resource!
  3. What works well here? For Example:
    • Aisle width good?
    • Ramp (but needs improving)
    • Availability of Sides people
    • Roving Microphones
    • Screen and books for services
  4. Large Print available (and offered?)
  5. Got any other ideas already?For Example
    • Loop test
    • Ramp improvements
  6. Ask people who we know who struggle for their suggestions
  7. Explore Handrails
  8. Explore/ review each ministry with Roof-Breaker lens
  9. Think about how we cater in an inclusive way
  10. Review 'childrens' space for accessibility
  11. Offer light-clips to those with visual impairment
  12. Review the role of Sides People throughout the service
  13. Are there people who used to come who now can't?
  14. Whats a good place to start?
  15. When and how will be review our progress and keep the community informed?

Set a date to help you!

Enabling Actions 'Easy wins' for all

Our Easy Access Audit is a simple document that anyone can use to help assess many areas of churches' physical, medical and social facilities. With thanks to Alice Kemp from the Bristol Diocese

Page last updated: Wednesday 9th March 2022 9:27 PM
Powered by Church Edit