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The Disability Rights Commission estimates that 11 million people in the UK have some kind of disability. It makes common sense to be inclusive of people with differing abilities.
There is also a legal requirement under the Disability Discrimination Act for Churches and Places of Worship to be accessible.
There are many different disabilities and some are more obvious than others. You might not even be aware that someone has a disability in your congregation. Additionally, some people might have impaired mobility (including some elderly people) and the measures and aids you put into place could be of use to these people also.
The law requires that Churches and Places of Worship take measures to ensure accessibility. This includes making reasonable adjustments to buildings and facilities. These rules apply whether or not you have someone in the congregation with a disability - you must provide for members of the public.
Practical Measures
The below are some commonly used methods to ensure that any Church or Place of Worship is accessible:
 If you have a car park available, designate some spaces for use by 'Blue Badge' users. The number of spaces you provide depends on the size of your car park, but at least two is preferred. The spaces should be in places where access to the building is easiest (such as close to a path).
Access paths should be as flat as possible. Avoid using gravel as this surface is difficult to navigate.
If you need to use steps to get into the building, consider installing a ramp. Hand rails can be beneficial to some people.
Multi-story buildings would benefit from lifts, enabling people to move between floors without having to negotiate stairs. Lifts require regular servicing and maintenance (usually every six months).
Doors should be wide enough for people using wheelchairs to use. This would usually be at least 800 mm wide. Doors with self-closing mechanisms (usually used for fire safety) can be fitted with modern closing mechanisms that are easier to open and negotiate.
An induction loop system is useful for those with a hearing aid. This will make the sound much more clear for these people.
People with visual impairments might benefit from a range of simple measures, from using a contrasting paint colour on doors compared to the frame and tactile mats at the top and bottom of stairs.
If you have a welcome desk or serving counter, make one part lower for the benefit of wheelchair users.
Wheelchair users and those with other mobility impairments would benefit from a wheelchair-friendly toilet facility. This would be fitted with handrails and be spacious enough for a wheelchair. Hand rails could easily be fitted to an existing toilet.
Consider leaving some spaces in your seating plan for wheelchairs and guide dogs. It is not acceptable for these people to use aisle spaces for fire safety reasons.
Signs (such as those showing the location of toilets) are available with tactile symbols and Braille.
Activities
You must consider how people with disabilities could be affected by services and activities. These are some examples:
If you use a computer and projector, connect up a video camera to make demonstrations and visual aids larger. This will make it easier to see for everyone, especially in larger buildings.
Explain any predominantly visual elements of worship and accompany music by visual aids (again, using the projector if you use one).
Where there is an induction loop system, encourage those people taking part to use microphones otherwise hearing aid users might miss out on parts of worship.
Have a number of large-print hymn books, Bibles (and any other book used in worship) available.
Make any newsletters, notice sheets and welcome packs available in audio versions for those who have difficulty reading. CDs can be created on most home computers with relative ease.
Use suitable colour combinations for projectors, posters etc... Use contrasting colours (light on dark or dark on light), and choose a large print size and avoid fussy fonts. Don't use hand-written notices or stencils - computers are capable of producing easier to read writing.
Use clear English, avoiding jargon and words which might be easily misread or misunderstood.
Be aware of storing items where they could prevent access for people using wheelchairs or where they could pose a trip hazard to someone with a visual impairment.
Emergency evacuation
During emergencies, such as a fire, you need to think about how you would evacuate people from the premises. You must think about the needs of the individual, and provide any assistance in a dignified and discrete manner if this is required.
For those people that regularly use the building, talk with them and create a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP). This would identify suitable emergency exit routes, the assistance needed (if any) and the use of emergency evacuation equipment (such as evacuation chairs). It is important to ensure that people who cannot evacuate by themselves are not left by alone.
The assistance given will vary. Someone with a visual impairment might need to be guided out of the building. A wheelchair user might need assistance to manoeuvre along a fire exit route. Someone using crutches might need assistance in opening doors along the exit route. Some people might not hear or understand the fire alarm warning and these people might need to be informed in other ways.
In any case, you should have a number of 'standby' plans available should a visitor need assistance. Plans should be made before the emergency and should be included in your emergency plans. It is not the role of the Fire Service to evacuate people from the premises.
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