UUCE is Accessible -- braille, ramps, hearing system

Church Attendees: If we can help you in any way, please call the Office during the week, or speak to an usher on Sunday morning. Your needs matter -- and we care.

• wheelchair-friendly; ramps to lower areas, large open bathrooms and any carpet is low-pile.
• three Braille hymnals and large-print Orders of Service ready for you. Please ask an usher for one.
• a hearing-assistive sound system and headphones.
• we record each Sunday's service; you may request a CD
• the website is designed to be used with screen readers.

Event Organizers: Please scroll down for Accessibility Guidelines for UUCE Events

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Our Charge

• We are a resource concerning accessibility needs and policies for other groups within UUCE
• We are an educational resource for the church.
• We provide a way for people with disabilities within our congregation to network and receive support from each other.
• We liaise with other accessibility groups locally and within the UUA.
• We welcome new members to our committee! Please contact our chair.

Inclusivity is not just a policy, it is a movement!

UUCE Joined the Accessible Congregations Campaign
by the American Association of People with Disabilities

At the request of the Accessibility Committee in 2008, the Board approved UUCE's participation with 2,500 congregations nationwide, including 25 UU congregations, in a program to fully and actively include people with disabilities in worship, service, study and leadership. This interfaith initiative involves a broad spectrum of religions--Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Quaker. No financial cost is involved in joining in this initiative.

As a participant we make a commitment to the following principles: "in our congregation people with disabilities are valued as individuals; we endeavor to remove barriers of architecture, communications, and attitudes that exclude people with disabilities from full and active participation, and people, with and without disabilities, are encouraged to practice their faith and use their gifts and talents in worship, service, study, and leadership."

We are supported in our efforts by the UUA
"Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to do all we can to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an association of congregations that truly welcome all persons and commit to structuring congregational and associational life in ways that empower and enhance everyone's participation." --UUA

Accessibility Guidelines

To assist in event-planning, accessibility awareness, and future property and building accessibility needs, the Accessibility Committee is making available a number of different guidelines. Reading through them may help you understand the many things that have implications for accessibility by people with disabilities.

The Committee hopes that you will use one or more of these guidelines, and let our members know - in detail - what you find helpful and why. We've made guesses and assumptions about usefulness, but it will be your actual experiences that will help us now.

You may notice that accessibility has three main flavors. There's architectural accessibility, physical details like door widths or positioning of electrical outlets. Program accessibility has a lot to do with the "where" and "how" of making programs and events open to everybody; for example, moving a meeting to a wheelchair-accessible room so a wheelchair user can attend. Sometimes accessibility for another person depends directly on you • your attitude and behavior: keeping your mustache trimmed to help someone lip-read what you have to say, or purchasing and using a nonscented laundry detergent or bath bar (and not wearing scent) so a person with chemical sensitivities can remain near you and share in your activity.

Presently there are three accessibility guidelines, or checklists, available here for your use:

• Accessibility Guidelines for UUCE Events (directly below)
• UUA Accessibility Guidelines - thorough
• National Organization on Disability Guide to Accessible Meetings
• Principles of Universal Design (simple and short)
• ADA Checklist --Text Only and --PDF version
• Disability Etiquette Tips

Accessibility Guidelines for UUCE Events

UUCE is a welcoming congregation, and as Unitarian Universalists, we affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Of course, this means we want to plan our events to be as accessible to everyone as possible. To this end, the UUCE Accessibility Committee has compiled the list below as a help in planning events.

The first thing we recommend is that you consult one of our committee about arrangements for your event. We are eager to share our knowledge about accessibility needs, many of which we have experienced ourselves, and will accompany you on site visits, when needed. And if we don't have the answers you need, we will find them for you. 

For considering a venue other than UUCE, there are several things to consider:

Location 

• Central and close to a bus stop
• Sufficient parking, with clearly marked, level, and well-paved disabled parking spaces
• Drop-off/pick-up area close to the building
• Barrier-free pathway from a bus stop and from disabled parking spaces to the building, i.e., without stairs, any abrupt change in height more than 1", or slippery or unstable ground
• Entryway at least 32" wide and the threshold no more than 3/4" high

Building Interior

• Facilities for childcare
• Doorways at least 32" wide and thresholds no more than __" high
• Access aisles at least 36" wide, with spaces 5' in diameter or T-shaped to allow 180-degree turns by a wheelchair
• Bathrooms accessible for wheelchair users (toilet 17-19" high, 34" space under sink, horizontal grab bars on walls alongside and behind toilet)
• Signs posted to indicate locations for childcare, restrooms, and meeting rooms
• A good sound system with assistive listening devices
• No traffic noise from outside, or other background noise making it difficult to hear
• Ambient temperature comfortable and able to be controlled
• A microphone available for all speakers

Whether at an outside venue or at UUCE, the following will add to the accessibility of your event:

Planning and Set-up

• In notices publicizing the event, list a person to be contacted for childcare arrangements and for further information
• Have programs and other written materials available in large print and in Braille
• Have a greeter at the entryway to welcome and direct people to the meeting space and restrooms, and to help guide visually impaired people as well as any others who may need assistance
• If using tables for eating meals, set them up so the spaces surrounding them are at least 36" wide, to allow access by people using wheelchairs or walkers. If possible, have a wider central aisle to provide for a broader choice of tables and easier access.
• Keep at least 36" clear in all passageways, without extra chairs or other equipment stored there, obstructing traffic paths
• Designate someone to see that an aisle chair is removed

     (1) so a wheelchair user can park without obstructing the aisle

     (2) so that a person using a walker can sit with it next to them

• Have speakers positioned so that their faces are well lighted and easily seen by everyone in the room
• When food is being served buffet-style, place the buffet table so that lines can form on both sides
• Give people with mobility challenges the opportunity to go first (as a matter of routine, rather than special privilege)
• Assign someone to keep lines moving at the buffet table and assist those who may need help serving themselves
• Label ingredients of dishes for the benefit of people with food allergies or restricted diets

Don't forget to clean up and make sure everyone has left the building before you turn out the lights and lock up. And have a good time!!

Other Guidelines

Does your group hold regular meetings? Or events open to the general community? If so, make sure everyone in your community can benefit from them. These guidelines give some basic points to think about when planning meetings so that they can be welcoming to all people: including older adults, people with temporary injuries, and others with physical, sensory and mental disabilities.

Location of Meeting

Is there a barrier-free pathway to the meeting space? A barrier-free pathway means that a person with a mobility impairment can make it from the street into the meeting room without encountering: (1) stairs, (2) any sudden change in floor height over 1 inch, (3) slippery or unstable ground, (4) doorways less than 32" wide or (5) any objects obstructing walkways. Any elevators in this pathway should be large enough to comfortably fit a wheelchair.

Is there an accessible restroom nearby? An accessible restroom is one that has a stall with (1) a doorway at least 32" wide, (2) grab bars installed by the toilet and (3) enough space for a wheelchair to maneuver (at least 36" x 69"). Also, at least one sink should have adequate space open beneath it so that a person using a wheelchair can sit with their legs underneath the basin as they wash their hands.

Is there adequate parking nearby? Are handicapped parking places available and clearly marked? Are these places close to the building entrance?

Is it easy to reach the meeting space from public transportation? Many people with disabilities rely on public transportation to get around. When possible, meeting rooms should be a short and simple route (without too many turns or complicated directions) from major transportation routes. Too complicated a pathway makes it difficult for anyone to find their way, especially people with visual or cognitive disabilities.

Have someone stand by the main entrance to direct people to the meeting room and help those needing assistance. This is a courtesy that everyone will appreciate.

In the Meeting Room

Are printed materials available in large print? At all meetings a few copies of written materials should be available in at least 16 point font size. This helps anyone with difficulty reading small print. Also, all important material that is written should be announced during the meeting. For important or lengthy printed materials, create audiotaped versions or have copies on disk in a generic word processing format for people who are blind.

Is the meeting site free of background noise? This can greatly help people who are hard of hearing and people using hearing aids.

Is there a good quality sound system? Make sure to check any audio equipment for loudness and clarity. Are assistive listening devices available? Rooms with assistive listening devices will make a big difference for those with hearing loss.

Is the speaker well positioned? Have the speaker located in a position where they are easy to see by everyone in the room. Do not have them located in front of windows as a background (this can be particularly problematic for people with Attention Deficit Disorder and related conditions). If people who use wheelchairs are speaking, avoid using podiums. Have all speakers sit at a table instead.

For any public meetings, put "Sign-language interpreters available upon request" in advertisements. Upon request, provide one. Ask deaf participants and interpreters what positions within the room would be best to facilitate communication. For more information on sign language interpreters go to the Association of Science-Technology Centers web site or call the National Association of the Deaf at 301-587-1788.

Other Points

When advertising community meetings, give contact information that anyone can use to request accommodations. If your meeting is going to be in an accessible location, note that in the ad, or insert a disability symbol somewhere near the text.

Although it is not measurable, a welcoming attitude is an equally important component of preparing an accessible meeting. Remain open to requests for accommodations and remember that people with disabilities - like all people - should be treated with dignity and respect. Avoid treating people with disabilities as though they are childlike, tragic, sick or pitiable. Be kind, but never patronizing. People with disabilities are first of all people with abilities and have much to offer. Expect them to contribute like anyone else.