By the Rev. Emily Carroll
St. John UMC
When Maria came into my office in February of 2019 and asked me to assist her in completing an Accessibility Audit for St. John, I thought, “Sure, this is a good thing, and won’t take that long …” We sat down and pored over the list of questions, evaluating how well St. John met ADA requirements and how well we welcomed people with disabilities into our work in ministry. Some discussion with staff, a couple walks around the building, a consultation with Trustees, and about a month later, we stepped back from the list realizing that apparently, we had work to do.
A year and a half later we are finished. Finished … poring over the list, that is. On Sunday, August 9th, 2020 we celebrated our second Disability Awareness Sunday and announced to the congregation the work that had been done. In doing so, we invited them to accept the Disability Friendly Accessible Gold Badge and enter into this lifelong work of inclusion for people with disabilities in the life of the church.
The work we did over that year and a half is valuable and important. We removed chairs in the sanctuary and placed wheelchair access stickers on the floor to make space in worship. We installed mirrors and soap and towel dispensers in the bathrooms at accessible heights. We redid the signs around the building for clearer way-finding. We posted reminders for people to minimize their use of fragrances. We did these, and other things. Yet the biggest change as a result of this audit is not related to brick and mortar, is not related to communication, is not related to programming, is not even related to attitudes towards people with disabilities. No, the biggest change through this audit has clearly been the depth of relationships that have formed, leading to a centering of accessibility in the life of the church.
When Maria asked for my help that day, I had no idea how much I would come to admire, trust, and love her and her family through this process. I knew Gabe, who has autism, liked to read Scripture on Sunday mornings and pass out bulletins, but I didn’t know that he also loved swimming, and that he laughed when he was nervous. I knew his brother Lorenzo often sat quietly to the side with his parents while Gabe danced, but I didn’t know that he is an incredibly gifted writer and has a huge heart for service to his community. And I knew Maria was often busy keeping an eye on Gabe and doing some advocacy work on the side, but I didn’t know how strong, smart, persistent, and driven she is about inclusion, about education, and about witnessing the Kingdom of God on earth.
Beyond any physical things that have changed as a result of this audit, the most profound result is how accessibility for people with disabilities is now squarely at the heart of our work in ministry. The relationships that formed in doing this audit have centered accessibility in the life of St. John. Our building maintenance team actively seeks to ensure fragrance-free air, clear walkways, and safe structures. Our Trustees prioritize accessibility in their work and ensure that any renovations are done with ADA requirements in mind. Our pastoral staff actively engage people with disabilities in worship, on committees and teams, and in small group discipleship. And our members celebrate the gifts that people with disabilities bring.
This audit has been a starting point. We are finished with the list, yet the work has just begun. We’ve got big goals for next year to continue to make our space and our ministry more inclusive. The celebration of Disability Awareness Sunday reached far and wide last week as people listened and responded to Paula’s story about what life is like for her as a person with disabilities, and received the Word of God proclaimed in ASL by Courtney, Christie, and Asher and interpreted by Gabe. In coming to know and love these people and others in our St. John family, the fullness of the Kingdom of God is made known. Praise be to God.
