ACCESSIBILITY COMMITTEE MINUTES

Minutes of the Accessibility Committee
January 6, 2009

Attending: Leslie Gilbert chair, Cindy Pitcairn, Mary Otten, Jeanne-Marie Moore and Bob coleman. David Gilmartin came in later.

Folowing opening words and check in, it was noted that the minutes were approved via email prior to the meeting.

1. Hard of Hearing
Leslie expressed confusion as to where we are regarding our efforts related to issues pertaining to the hard of hearing. Cindy summarized the results of the first forum and mentioned that the follow up didn’t happen because none of the hard of hearing people who were present at the first meeting came to the next one. And that meeting had not been as well publicized as the first one. Cindy noted, and there seemed to be concensus, that there is a lot of interest in helping people with hearing issues. She suggested that we develop a short questionnaire for the congregation asking about their needs in this area. She stated that a recent article in UU World noted that hearing problems were one of the two biggest reasons why people do not attend services. Jeanne-Marie suggested that we could meet between services or after the second service, instead of meeting on Tuesday night. Cindy suggested that we could have a task force to do some projects, such as the questionnaire. Jeanne-marie and Cindy agree to develop the proposed questionnaire and circulate it for comment and approval.. Jeanne-marie will speak with stewardship about circulating the questionnaire on stewardship Sunday. Mary stated that she has a set of large print pamphlets from UUA. She will be working with membership to get a selection of pamphlets put on the rack and a complete set made available for reading and ordering personal copies if people wish.

2. Assistance request
We have a request from a member for assistance with getting to and from church on the accessible path. Leslie will be working with the individual and various other committees to see what can be done.

3. PWD’s on Health Care
David brought up his idea that people with disabilities could get involved with working on health care concerns. He noted that the church has selected other social justice projects for this year, so he is not requesting that the accessibility committee take any action at this time. Jeanne-Marie mentioned Archimedes project as an organization which works on nothing but the health care issue. Cindy noted that groups like the MS society also have advocates.

4. Future.
The last item on the agenda concerned the committee, where we are going and what we want to do. David mentioned that we could be doing more in the community at large. Mary volunteered to call St. mary’s, which is the other church in town that is part of the accessible congregations campaign. Other goals for the year include having another accessibility-related worship service, monitoring upcoming activities for accessibility concerns, updating re and other curricula. There will not be a February meeting. We hope to have survey results from the questionnaire on the issue related to hearing difficulties at church by the March meeting.

Submitted by Mary Otten

Minutes of the UUCE Accessibility Committee
December 2, 2008

Minutes of the UUCE Accessibility Committee Meeting
June 11, 2008, 7 pm

Committee members present were d. maria, Leslie Gilbert, David Gilmartin, Jeanne-Marie Moore, Mary Otten, Cindy Pitcairn, Ken Ross. Rev. Steve Landale attended, as well.

Budgeting for Accessibility Needs
Following check-in , Rev Steve raised the matter of a recent proposal made to the Music Committee to buy ten large-print hymnals. The music committee has funds for perhaps two. maria mentioned that its not a good idea for the Accessibility Committee to be asked to provide the funds for these hymnals and other accessible items. Steve cautioned that too much fund raising for special projects can result in less giving at stewardship time. He suggested that all the accessibility needs could be funded by our committee if we had a sufficient budget, and that way we would decide what got funded. The alternative is that accessibility needs should be met by the committees that have money left over or that have an accessibility committee member on them. We need to decide which method would work better.

There was lively discussion pro and con both methods. Steve pointed out that if the requests come from a committee other than ours, we don’t have control over how things get done. maria pointed out that if we have liaisons to committees, that helps us get our needs met. Cindy pointed out that the request for large-print hymnals didn’t come from us, but probably from ushers. After a rereading of our mission statement, Steve agreed that it does not support the idea of the Accessibility Committee controlling the funding and prioritizing of requests but rather that we could advocate through other committees for items that will help accessibility needs.

Workday Sunday Service
Steve next raised the topic of having a brief introductory service on the workday Sunday, August 31. All agreed that accessibility for this brief service could best be met by holding it inside with just a few chairs and using the sound system.

Cluster Groups
Steve mentioned that the Sunday Morning Worship cluster is forming and includes worship associates, RE greeters, ushers, sound and kitchen/coffee people. This group will meet about twice a year, at least for leaders and perhaps members as well. The meetings will have at least two purposes: (1) pragmatic information-sharing and (2) an opportunity for spiritual growth, with people seeing their volunteer work on a deeper level.

With that in mind, Steve suggested that the cluster could try to recreate the Sunday morning experience from the point of view of diverse congregants, e.g. a single person, a person in a wheelchair with a child who isn’t, and vice versa. He suggested this walk-through might occur in January before stewardship starts. Several committee members doubted that it would be possible to approximate a replication of the Sunday morning experience with play-acting. An alternative suggestion would be to have a Sunday cluster session with a diverse group of people talking about their experiences on Sunday morning. Steve decided to drop the role-playing idea, but does want us to provide accessibility feedback regarding the Sunday morning experience to the cluster group.

Awareness of Ableism
Cindy mentioned the idea of raising awareness of the issue of ableism within the church and asked if Steve could be a key player in this, perhaps by doing a service about it and by including ableism when listing issues such as sexism, racism, etc.

Printed Orders of Service
There was discussion about whether it would be good to discontinue printed orders of service. Steve pointed out that the printed order of service is good for visitors. He also supported the idea of displaying the text of sermons during the service to help those who are deaf or hard of hearing. It was agreed that this probably can’t happen at our present location. Leslie suggested that we could print fewer orders of service and not have ushers hand them out, but have them available if people wanted one.

Membership in the National Organization on Disability
Cindy raised the idea of having our church join the National Organization on Disability's Accessible Congregations program. It costs nothing to join. There are 2,292 congregations in the program already, 25 of which are UU. There was discussion of the wording on the commitment form about people being made in the image of God and whether that would be a problem. Steve said we should accept the language as is and think of what that language would mean for us. Steve suggested that if we do want the church to join this group, we should go through the board.

At this point, Rev. Steve left the meeting.

Game Night and Other Activities
Leslie reported that the game night had been a success and everybody loved it. A lot of people talked about wanting to do it again and more things like it, but one problem is that the 3rd Friday potlucks may not continue next year. Leslie reported that she and Jeanne-Marie are working on a worship service for June 29th involving their personal reflections. They have a third person with a hidden disability who will also give a reflection.

Future Meetings
We will continue with meeting on the first Tuesday of the month starting in September. We will take the summer off. maria mentioned that now is a good time to recruit allies for the committee. Cindy noted she always includes an invitation to attend in the newsletter announcements, but it was agreed that personal invitations were far more effective. We could also ask people to come to a specific meeting, as experts, to advise us on an accessibility issue.

The meeting adjourned a few minutes after 9:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Otten

Minutes of the UUCE Accessibility Committee Meeting
May 6, 2008

Present: d. maria, Leslie Gilbert, David Gilmartin, Jeanne-Marie Moore, Mary Otten, Cindy Pitcairn, Ken Ross

Chalice lighting and a reading by Leslie Gilbert were followed by brief check-ins. The agenda was amended at maria's request to include a consideration of problems with the handling of hearing-assistive devices.

Liaisons with Other Committees
Ken Ross reported that the Facilities Council had completed painting white stripes along the edges of the concrete pathway leading to the lower level. The paint includes tiny glass crystals that add sparkle, making for greater visibility at night when the path is lighted. maria reported that the Committee would be included with the proposed Social Justice Cluster quarterly meetings. Leslie Gilbert and David Gilmartin said that they had nothing to report from the RE and BPOC committees, respectively.

Taboo Game Night Plans
Leslie Gilbert and Jeanne-Marie Moore, with help from Dick Loescher, have come up with ideas for 40 disability-related cards to be used for the Taboo game night scheduled for Friday, May 16th . These will be printed in large type and Braille. As Fred Schultz had offered to help with the game night, maria offered to call him about helping out. maria also offered to provide some “white elephant” door prizes.

Access Checklist for UUCE Events
The draft of a checklist written by Cindy Pitcairn was discussed, and it was agreed to rewrite the items dealing with placement of walkers and with space around tables. Upon approval of the subsequent draft by e-mail, it will be distributed to the Coordinating Council at their meeting on Saturday, May 10th, as part of the Committee's report. It will also be linked to the Committee's web pages and sent out on the UUCE “Biz” listserv.

Hearing-Assistive Devices
Two of these were missing and one was left turned on after the second Sunday service. The Committee discussed ways to prevent them from straying in the future. One idea was to ask people to deposit their driver's licenses in order to borrow one. Another suggestion was to have a sign on the welcoming table and the basket in which they belong clearly marked
Although the handling of these devices is overseen by the ushers and the sound group, it is also an accessibility issue, as are other items that are dealt with primarily by the ushers, such as removal of a chair to allow placement of a wheelchair or walker and having Braille hymnals easily available. The Committee felt it would be good to ensure that awareness of such items was included in usher training sessions in the fall.

Future of the Committee
The Committee discussed continuing and future directions for the coming year. Possibilities include a workshop, a Sunday service with a focus on accessibility issues, a panel with other area churches, applying for membership in the National Organization on Disability's Accessible Congregations Program, and continued development of our web page as a resource.

New Officers
The following have agreed to serve as officers for the coming year: Leslie Gilbert, Chair; Mary Otten, Recording Secretary; Cindy Pitcairn, Corresponding Secretary.

Next Meeting
The Committee agreed to hold its next meeting on Wednesday, June 11th at 7 pm so that the Rev. Landale can attend. We considered some of the things for which we would like to have his input, mostly concerned with how we, and he as our minister, can make our congregation more aware of, and knowledgeable about, ableism. Seven of our members and friends use wheelchairs, three are blind--that's about 2.5% of our congregation with obvious accessibility issues. Add in those who have less obvious, but more common disabling conditions, such as hearing loss, diabetes, severe arthritis, obesity, and various stages of major diseases (cancer, heart disease, Parkinson's,  Alzheimer's) and you have a far greater percentage.

Although we have made some progress in terms of architectural modifications, childcare provision,  an excellent sound system, and the establishment of this Accessibility Committee, there has been no major thrust against ableism. In fact, many in the congregation are only vaguely, if at all, aware of the concept.

We have several ideas of ways to improve this situation and would like Rev. Steve's ideas about their potential effectiveness:  
~ ~~• a worship service focusing on ableism,
~~~ • a full- or half-day workshop on it,
~~~ • official affiliation of our church with other churches pursuing accessibility (such as the National Organization on Disability's Accessible Congregations Program),
~~~ • clarification that our committee's role in the church structure, and by extension, that of accessibility, does not fit neatly into one category, such as Social Justice, Facilities Council, Events, or Membership, but is an over-riding concern
~~~ • outreach to other churches in the area, perhaps a panel discussion, on the issue of accessibility

The meeting was adjourned at 9 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Pitcairn, Scribe

Accessibility Committee Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Present: David Gilmartin, d. maria, Leslie Gilbert, Jeanne-Marie Moore, Mary Otten, Cindy Pitcairn, Ken Ross

Candle-lighting and a reading by Cindy Pitcairn were followed by brief check-ins.
Liaisons with Other Committees

Ken Ross reported that the Facilities Council may be able to repair our old Hobart dishwasher. Leslie Gilbert commented that she hoped to connect with RE this summer, possibly in regard to an accessibility-related program. Cindy Pitcairn reported that she had expressed her interest in working with the Events group, which is not yet a formal committee. David Gilmartin commented that he had contacted John Wagner and had no news concerning the budget.

Report on Carpooling to LCC on April 6th for Celebration Sundaymaria reported that she has had several phone calls from people offering to pick up others in town and at the church.

Game Night Plans
Leslie Gilbert and Jeanne-Marie Moore will meet with Dick Loescher and possibly Fred Schultz to work on designing cards for the Taboo game night scheduled for May 16th. They will be printed in Braille as well as regular type. Cindy Pitcairn mentioned the need to have the event announced in the newsletter and UupDate.

Committee Webpages
David Gilmartin presented orally an outline of categories, or links, for the Accessibility web page that he recently drew up. He plans to talk with Martha Osgood, UUCE's webster, about the hows and wherefores of setting it up. He will provide the list by e-mail to committee members for comments. Included on the web page will be links to an extensive accessibility survey, links to ADA specifications, and a simpler, user-friendly checklist, a draft of which Cindy Pitcairn is writing.

Update on EQUUAL ACCESS
Mary Otten reported that this UUA-affiliated group is now officially established, complete with by-laws.

Committee Changes
Mary Otten announced that she is being nominated to serve on the UUCE board and David Gilmartin stated that he is being nominated to serve on the UUCE Building Project Oversight Committee (BPOC). While it is gratifying to have the co-chairs of the Accessibility Committee serving such important roles in the church, it presents the committee with the problem of getting new leaders for the coming year. In addition, Cindy Pitcairn does not see herself as continuing as secretary. It was agreed that the future structure of the committee would be a focus for discussion at the May meeting.

Feedback Persons
David Gilmartin presented the idea of inviting a UUCE member or friend with accessibility needs to attend committee meetings to present feedback on their situations, e.g., impaired hearing, and that this could tie in with a theme for the meeting. It was agreed that this would be a valuable idea to pursue in the future.

Awareness of Committee
We decided to ask the UUCE minister, Rev. Landale, to attend a committee meeting to seek his interest in our goals and his input on our continuing role in the church. Mary Otten said she would invite him to attend our June meeting.

Next Meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6th at 7 pm. Items for the agenda will include Taboo Night plans, future committee structure, and possible participation in a Sunday program. The meeting was adjourned at 9 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
 Cindy Pitcairn, Scribe

UUCE ACCESSIBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING
March 4, 2008, 7 pm, Room 2

Present: David Gilmartin, d. maria, Cindy Pitcairn, Ken Ross

Candle-lighting and a reading by maria were followed by brief check-ins.

Liaisons with Other Committees
Ken Ross reported that the Facilities Council is taking a well-earned respite and will not meet again until May.

maria mentioned that she is on the Nominating Committee and will suggest that an Accessibility Committee member be considered for the Oversight Building Project Committee. Jeanne-Marie Moore was suggested as a possible candidate and David Gilmartin asked to be considered.

Accessibility Checklists
Cindy Pitcairn said that she would be interested in developing a checklist for both in-house and outside UUCE-sponsored events that would include accessibility guidelines as well as other policies and procedures. [This was discussed later in the meeting and agreed upon.]

David Gilmartin has developed an accessibility survey of about 50 items in a yes-no-comment format, based on a survey created by the Pacific Southwest District a few years ago, to be made available through the accessibility pages of the UUCE website.

There was some discussion over what the best use for this survey would be, whether it should be circulated through UU-Biz for comments or presentation, whether a shorter, simpler survey should be circulated to committee heads and other church leaders, and whether other surveys should also be placed on the website. It was agreed that this survey, after some final editing, should be made available through the Accessibility Committee pages of the UUCE website, as well as others, either directly, or if copyright permission cannot be obtained, through Internet links.

Committee Input to Church Functions
Cindy Pitcairn said she would contact Pat Hendricks of the Music Committee for information on accessibility at the upcoming Music Soiree All-Church Talent Night.

maria said she would plan on ways for people to get to the Celebration Sunday event on April 6, perhaps in conjunction with the Green Sanctuary Committee.

Closing
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 1st, at 7 pm. The meeting was adjourned at 9 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Pitcairn, Scribe

Minutes Accessibility Committee
Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Present: David Gilmartin, Jeanne-Marie Moore, Cindy Pitcairn, Fred Schultz

Candle-lighting and a reading by Jeanne-Marie Moore, who dedicated the poem to Mary Otten, the co-chair of the committee, were followed by brief check-ins. Condolences were expressed for Mary Otten upon the loss of her mother. Fred Schultz's interest in the group was warmly welcomed.

Secretary's Report: The minutes of the January meeting were approved via e-mail and put on our website. Notices of our monthly meetings and accessibility awareness tips are being published in the UUCE newsletter and electronically on UUpDate.

Fun Church Events: Phyllis Peara is agreeable to our plans for playing a version of the game Taboo after a third Friday potluck. David Gilmartin and Fred Schultz have volunteered to help with the set-up and materials for the game.

Liaisons with Other Groups: While the Shared Values Subcommittee of the Building Project Oversight Committee is closed for the time being, the Listening Groups on February 10th and 17th will provide an opportunity for discussion of accessibility issues.

Jeanne-Marie said she would represent the Accessibility Committee at the Coordinating Council meeting on Saturday.

We discussed possible participation in the church talent show (also known as the "Music Soiree") on Saturday, March 15th.

General Discussion:
An unrecognized accessibility issue was mentioned by Fred Schultz regarding people who may not be able to, or do not want to, use computers. Awareness within the church community of this issue might help keep those people informed about important communications from the church.

Jeanne-Marie Moore mentioned the importance of letting people know that those with accessibility issues are now able to vote  through a program developed by the Secretary of State's Office and the Help America Vote Act by which a person with a disability can use their own computer at home or go to the County Elections Office to vote privately and independently.  (Contact the County Elections Office: 682-4234 for further information.)

Accessibility Checklists: David Gilmartin has assembled three accessibility surveys, with different approaches and amounts of information, to be made available through the accessibility pages of the UUCE website. One is a fairly simple survey, in narrative format, from the National Organization on Disability. Another is a survey of about 50 items in a yes-no-comment format, updated from a survey created by the Pacific Southwest District a few years ago. The third is an "ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities," by Barrier-Free Environments and Adaptive Environments Center. This one is lengthier and with more technical detail.

Conclusion: The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4th, at 7 pm. The meeting was adjourned at 9 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Pitcairn, Scribe

Minutes Accessibility Committee
Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Present : Leslie Gilbert, David Gilmartin, maria, Mary Otten, Cindy Pitcairn

Candle-lighting and a reading by Leslie Gilbert were followed by brief check-ins.

Ride Source Pick-ups: maria and Cindy Pitcairn have met with a Ride Source manager concerning the best way to transfer those in a power wheelchair into their van, a situation that caused problems in the past because of the small size and crowded condition of our parking lot. Because a level ground is needed for the van lift to work, it was decided that pick-up should be at the street curb. Maria agreed to convey this solution to Reina, the main person using the van. Meanwhile, it was noted that the loading zone now in place alongside the walkway leading from the street to the church will still be useful for those having difficulty walking.

Facilities Council: Although our liaison member to this group, Ken Ross, was not able to attend this meeting, the committee expressed gratitude and appreciation for the placement of handsome handles on the interior of the sanctuary doors, as well as establishment of the loading zone along the church walkway.

Liaisons with Other Groups: maria reported that she had informed the Social Justice Committee that she would act as a liaison between our committees. Leslie Gilbert reported that she had attended a meeting of the Religious Education Meeting where she was welcomed as a liaison member to our committee. Mary Otten reported that she had tried unsuccessfully to make contact with the Membership Committee for the same purpose. David Gilmartin reported that he had attended the Coordinating Council (CC) meeting, including the budget planning workshop. He noted that the Council is considering committee clusters to meet monthly with quarterly meetings of all the committees.

Fun Church Events: Leslie Gilbert will contact Phyllis Peara concerning a date for playing a version of the game Taboo after the third Friday potluck this spring.

Accessibility Checklist: There was considerable discussion about the development of an Accessibility Checklist might be posted on our website. David Gilmartin has already forwarded one provided by the UUA on their website, which may be more extensive than needed (and less practical as a result). The roster for meetings within our church could deal primarily with how the meeting is set up, for example, arrangements for baby-sitting, space between tables, programs or other hand-outs in Braille, whereas the list for off-site meetings would also include built-in facilities like wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, sound system with hearing-assistive devices. David Gilmartin will work on developing such rosters.

Training for Accessibility Needs in RE: David Gilmartin has identified several publications to help RE teachers to meet accessibility needs of children. One book in particular seems especially appropriate and Leslie Gilbert will bring it to the attention of Candee Cole, DRE. A broad-ranging discussion followed on whether we should be prepared for accessibility needs before they exist within the congregation or if people with accessibility needs would come if we had ways of helping them.

Safety: Cindy Pitcairn brought up the question of safety precautions and procedures at church, e.g., is there an evacuation plan in case of earthquake, fire, etc., should we have a wheelchair on-site in case of injury?

Budget: David Gilmartin presented a preliminary budget and asked for our input on it. The final budget proposal is due January 31st.

Conclusion: The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 5th at 7 pm in the Sanctuary. Jeanne-Marie Moore will provide a short reading.

The meeting was adjourned at 9 pm.
                                                                                                                                           Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Pitcairn, Scribe

Minutes of the Accessibility Committee Meeting
Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Present : d. maria, Leslie Gilbert, David Gilmartin, Jeanne-Marie Moore, Mary Otten, Cindy Pitcairn, Ken Ross. Visitors: Marilyn and Nisco Junkins

Candle-lighting and a short reading by Cindy Pitcairn were followed by brief check-ins.

The notes of the previous Accessibility Group meeting (11/6/07) were approved.

Membership Announcement. Nisco Junkins, on behalf of the Membership Committee, recounted an incident in which a person new to church found it difficult to find a seat on several occasions because the empty ones were all being saved. She urged us to be aware of this and consider making such seating available to visitors.

Meeting Procedures, Agenda Items, and Time Allotments. We agreed to assign time allotments to agenda items but be flexible in adjusting them, with the agreement of meeting participants, when the time elapsed before discussion was complete. This can be done by furthering discussion and delaying or shortening other agenda items or by deferring discussion to a later meeting or to a task force.

Liaison with Facilities Council. Ken Ross, as liaison member with the Facilities Council (FC), reported on several actions that the FC was taking in response to suggestions from the committee. Ed Zack has put in low-voltage lighting by the upper part of the pathway near the gate to the lower level.

George Koris, Bob Kaeser, and Ed Zack are planning to place off-set hinges on the doors to the accessible bathrooms to make the doorway openings two inches wider and thus more accessible to wheelchair users.

To enable access to and from cars and vans by the curb in the parking lot, the FC is suggesting closing the curbside section nearest to the street to parking so as to create a loading zone. This will enable access to and from the Ride Source van, as well as making it easier for people who have difficulty walking to be dropped off and picked up. This is a new idea that the FC will want to present to others for comments. The committee enthusiastically endorsed the concept and expressed much gratitude to the FC members for their responsiveness to our concerns.

Installation Ceremony. Mary Otten reported that she had met with the task force working on plans for the Installation of Rev. Steve Landale as our minister on January 27, 2008 at First Christian Church and that plans for the social reception following the ceremony, the part most likely to pose accessibility problems, were still in flux.

Interaction with Other Committees. In line with serving as a resource for other groups in the church, we discussed having committee members act as liaisons for other committees on which they serve or in which they have an interest. Ken Ross is already a liaison from the FC. Currently Jeanne-Marie Moore is a member of the Shared Values Task Force of the Building Oversight Committee, and d. maria, a member of the Social Justice Committee, two groups whose interests overlap with ours. Leslie Gilbert will look into forming a connection with Religious Education. Mary Otten will contact Membership concerning a liaison member.

We agreed that an Accessibilities Checklist should be developed as a guide for groups planning outside events, with the caveat that an on-site visit from a committee member would be most useful. David Gilmartin will check on the UUA website for materials they may have that could be used.

Web Page and Listserv.
We decided to add telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, or both next to our names on our web page. Meeting dates and agendas can be posted as well. We can also develop a calendar for the web page.

Cindy Pitcairn proposed that meeting minutes be posted on the web page after they are circulated by e-mail and approved by the meeting participants. This proposal was unanimously approved.

We will look into having links for educational material, accessibility etiquette tips, and so on. Perhaps even a list of relevant movies.

Outside events of interest to the group can be posted on the listserv.

Fun Church Events. David Gilmartin suggested co-sponsoring a event with the Membership or Interweave groups. Another possibility was a game night, perhaps involving a version of the game Taboo, following the third Friday potluck sometime this spring. Leslie Gilbert and Jeanne-Marie Moore agreed to be a Fun and Games Subcommittee to plan such events.

Conclusion. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 8th at 7 pm in the Sanctuary.Jeanne-Marie Moore volunteered to provide a short reading. The meeting was adjourned at 9 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Cindy Pitcairn, Scribe

Notes from the Accessibility Group Meeting
(prior to formalization)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Present : d. maria, Leslie Gilbert, David Gilmartin, Jeanne-Marie Moore, Mary Otten, Cindy Pitcairn, Ken Ross

Candle-lighting and words by David Gilmartin were followed by brief check-ins.
The notes of the previous meeting were approved.

Liaison with Facilities Council. Ken Ross introduced himself as the liaison member with the Facilities Council (FC) and presented a list of items the FC has completed, is in the process of doing, or plans to do in the future in response to our accessibility concerns. Already completed are the new concrete pathway to the lower level, the installation of an ADA-compliant toilet in one of the lower level bathrooms, a storage box for Braille hymnals, and two new restricted parking spaces. In process is the installation of a new ADA-compliant toilet in a one of the bathrooms on the upper level. Ken asked for further explanation of how off-set door hinges work and said the FC would look into installing them.

Some discussion ensued concerning the lighting of the pathway at night and it was agreed that it is the upper part of the path that needs lights. The FC will look into the possibility of a solar light on a post. After discussing ways to make it possible for a wheelchair to gain access to the parking lot for loading onto a van after a service (when no curbside space is available for a van to pull into), it was decided that Leslie Gilbert and Ken Ross would meet separately to find a solution to this problem, if possible.

Committee Proposal. Cindy Pitcairn reported that the latest version of a proposal for an Accessibility Committee would be considered by the UUCE Board at its November 8th meeting and approval seemed likely.

Installation Ceremony. Jeanne-Marie Moore has contacted Rev. Steve Landale to ascertain that he prefers First Christian Church for his installation ceremony, and Mary Otten has contacted Suzanne Whaley, head of the Installation Task Force, concerning input from our committee. As a result, Leslie Gilbert and Cindy Pitcairn joined the task force on October 25th for a tour of First Christian Church. Although the church presents a variety of accessibility challenges, advanced planning and communications can alleviate most of them.

Communications. Mary Otten has contacted our webster, Martha Osgood, concerning an access-listserv once we are a committee and have sufficient subscribers (8-10). Cindy Pitcairn reported she had contacted Martha on the establishment of a committee web page, to include accessibility tips and other educational material. Those present supported having a place on the UUCE website for accessibility information. David Gilmartin suggested exploring whether it would make sense for it to be combined with stuff from Welcoming Congregations (Interweave), Membership, or other committees.

Interaction with Other Committees. d. maria said Nisco Junkins, Membership, might like to see people with disabilities as greeters at Sunday services. Jeanne-Marie Moore felt strongly that the Shared Values Task Force of the Building Project Oversight Committee was an important group through which to influence the future of the church, and that she planned to become involved there.

Accessibility Representation at UUA. David Gilmartin and Mary Otten reported that Arthur Tackman and CJ McGregor, representing people with disabilities, were added to the Journey Toward Wholeness Transformation Committee by the UUA Board of Trustees. In response to many expressed concerns, the Board, later next year, according to Tom Loughrey, PSWD Trustee, "will be inviting leadership of this committee to meet with us to discuss specifically how the committee is handling issues of accessibility as part of its new charge."

In view of time constraints, the remaining agenda item of discussing committee objectives and tasks for the coming year was postponed until the next meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, December 4th, at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary.

Notes from the Meeting Accessibility Needs Meeting
(prior to formalization)
Monday, October 15, 2007

Present: d. maria, Leslie Gilbert, David Gilmartin, Jeanne-Marie Moore, Mary Otten, Cindy Pitcairn

Introductions and brief check-ins were followed by a reading by Jeanne-Marie Moore of "The Guest House," a poem by Rumi.

Accessibility Committee Proposal
A brief discussion was held concerning the presentation of a proposal for an Accessibility Committee made to the UUCE Board on October 11th. The Board has requested a resubmission of the proposal at the November meeting with a statement of charges for the committee and the structure.  Mary Otten agreed to write a statement containing the proposed charges and structure for the committee.

Accessibility Needs
Present needs: We discussed several physical needs, including higher toilets and off-set hinges for the bathrooms upstairs. Cindy Pitcairn noted that the newly paved pathway to the lower level was an important improvement for her. Leslie Gilbert commented that the path was too steep and needed some edging to allow for safe use by her non-motorized wheelchair. Leaves on the pathway, especially when wet, are a concern. Lighting along the pathway is badly needed and solar lighting was suggested as one possibility, consonant with Green Sanctuary principles.

We decided we should contact Candee Cole about RE needs. We also discussed difficulties that people and children with developmental disabilities might have due to lack of knowledge on the part of volunteer teachers and congregational members as a whole.

Concerns for the future: Leslie Gilbert expressed hope that consideration will be given to the neighborhood for the new church, e.g., that it not have steep hills. Being on a bus route is another concern.

We also discussed potential access problems that might crop up in connection with the installation of Rev. Steve Landale scheduled for January or February, especially if it is held at First Christian Church. Jeanne-Marie Moore volunteered to contact Rev. Steve for information about the plans and to let him know of our concerns.

Interaction with the Congregation
We discussed several ways in which we can act to raise awareness of accessibility needs:
• Present a workshop in October 2008 (Disability Awareness Month)
• Add a segment on Accessibility to the Welcoming Congregation Presentations
• Place "tips" in the newsletter and on the web
• Add articles on accessibility to the UUCE website
• Plan some fun events
• Publicize the group and invite people into it

Interactions Outside UUCE
We discussed connections with the UUA. All agreed that access to the content of the UUA website is daunting and we should e-mail the contact person about the need to make it more user-friendly. We want to keep abreast of the UUA's incorporation of accessibility issues under the Journey Towards Wholeness concept. Jeanne-Marie Moore mentioned the existence of an Oregon Interfaith Disability Group.

Future Directions
We will continue to pursue approval of a committee, with David Gilmartin and Mary Otten acting as co-chairs and Cindy Pitcairn as scribe. David Gilmartin volunteered to learn to operate the sound system and maria is already experienced at it.

We will try to hold future meetings monthly upstairs on Tuesday evenings, so as to have access to the sound system and avoid background noise from choir rehearsals, factors important to those who have limited hearing. 

We will encourage those who expressed interest in the group, but were unable to attend this meeting, to come to future meetings.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 6th, in the sanctuary. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.