Churches where no wheelchairs go (Contribution)

During a recent family holiday we visited a well known Australian big city Catholic cathedral. 

Upon seeing the series of steps at the front, we looked for disability access and were rewarded with the familiar stylised wheelchair symbol. 

We proceeded uphill to find the side entrance also had steps.

Continuing on, we made our way to the back of the church, where we discovered a long ramp leading to a door. 

We rang the bell, and waited. And waited. 

A security guard patrolling the perimeter found us, and a short while later met us inside. 

We finally entered the sacred building.

Later that day, a disability advocate shared the story of a discussion with representatives of a local church, regarding disability access to a church building. 

The representatives said providing access was not an issue for their congregation, because it had no members with mobility issues.

The advocate gently explained that perhaps the design of the church building precluded people who had movement difficulties from attending.

From personal experience, I am aware of the cost of building modifications to improve accessibility. 

No doubt costs are even more prohibitive for buildings designed for wide communities, or of heritage value. 

Yet there are simple changes churches can offer people with mobility difficulties.

Well-signposted disability car parks are a must. 

Where it is necessary to walk, hobble, or wheel a distance to a special entrance, hand rails and cheery signs along the way help the path seem short. 

If assistance is required to enter, assign someone to be present to provide support.

In certain cases, temporary ramps allow access to wheelchairs and walking frames. Allocated spaces for wheelchairs reduce fears about 'being in the way'. 

Movement is made easier if aisles are wide enough to accomodate both a wheelchair, and someone mobile to walk around it.

Some of these suggestions cost money; but money is spent on providing music, technology, art and other things that subtly invite people to participate. 

Compromises on updating or replacing resources, or questioning the necessity of new purchases, could release funds to build a more accessible church.

Some years ago, our parish catered for the extra numbers anticipated at Easter by adding a chair to the end of each row, and including extra rows of chairs at the back of the church and in the foyer. 

Unfortunately, this had the unintended consequence of relegating people with mobility issues, injuries or small children to the periphery of the gathering as aisles were reduced to narrow tracks.

One can speculate what message could inadvertently be inferred by people who may be attending church for the first time in a long while.

In London, the Anglican Church developed strategies to ensure that people with disabilities are considered in worship. 

The Anglican Church in Australia is also working to enable greater participation by people with all kinds of disabilities in the life of the church. Churches are willing to take up the challenge, and an evaluation process forms part of the approach.

It is heartening to see similar moves in Australian Catholic churches. 

The Australian Catholic Bishops established a Disability Council as part of the Bishops Commission on Pastoral Life. 

This signalled the priority and importance of addressing issues of disability in the Church, and includes resources to assist the involvement of people with intellectual impairments as well as physical needs.

While entry to the aforementioned cathedral was not particularly wheelchair-friendly, we were pleased to see there were wide aisles and other technology designed to facilitate participation, such as large flat screens attached to pillars that could assist people with vision or hearing impairments.

There is a story in the Gospel of Luke in which the friends of a paralysed man could not find a way to bring him into a crowded building where Jesus was. 

So they climbed onto the roof and lowered him on a stretcher. 

These friends worked hard to ensure that their friend did not miss out on meeting Jesus.

Church members can take a cue from this example, by ensuring they also bring people with injury, illness, impairment or disability to the heart of their communities.

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Moira Byrne Garton is a PhD student in political science at the Australian National University, and a policy analyst.  

She is strongly engaged with disability issues.

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