Removing barriers in church environments — both figuratively and literally — is a crusade that Bob Anderson eagerly looks forward to on a daily basis. It’s the focus of his work as director of the religion and disability program at Birmingham’s Lakeshore Foundation.
The nonprofit organization, which has been operating since 1984, centers it services around issues dealing with individuals with physical disabilities. “Our mission is to provide opportunities for people with physical disabilities to live healthy, active lifestyles and participate fully in their community,” Anderson said.
As the former chaplain of Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital, Anderson became acutely aware of the many challenges that individuals with physical disabilities face in the able-bodied world. He was especially in tune to the limited accessibility that people with physical disabilities face when attempting to find a place of worship where they can easily maneuver their adaptive devices such as a wheelchair, scooter or walker.
When Anderson approached the Foundation’s board of directors in 1995 about creating a program to assist the church community in this area, they agreed. The Lakeshore Foundation religion and disability program was born with Anderson being the driving force behind it.
Anderson knows firsthand the struggles a person with a disability must overcome to attend a church service, let alone participate in one. The childhood memory of his wheelchair-bound cousin raising money door-to-door for a ramp so he could enter his church without the indignity of being carried, continues to inspire Anderson to take his cause to Alabama churches.
As part of Anderson’s job, he visits churches who are interested in leaning how to better include people with disdabilities or are wanting to make sure their facilities are compatible to the needs of the disabled.
“A growing number of churches are increasing their ability to welcome and include people with disabilities and their families. People need access not only to buildings but to the programs and activities of the church as well,” said Anderson, a member of Vestavia Hills Baptist Church in Birmingham Association. “Alabama is fortunate to have a resource program like ours available. We are the only state-based program of its kind for congregations.”
The general services that are offered to churches through the program are “discovery,” which is a basic education for a congregation about ministry and disability. It gives an overview to members about the gifts, abilities and needs of people with disabilities and their families. This includes on-site consultation regarding basic facility accessibility needs and general information that a congregation needs to know in order to most effectively include people with disabilities and their families.
Another component of the program is the “preparation” segment, which involves a detailed action plan regarding ministry and disability, and includes a workshop for members and key leaders. A complete assessment of a church’s current resources, interests and opportunities to best include people with disabilities and their families is a focal point of this segment. As part of the preparation services, a church member education is offered to enhance awareness of the need to address disability issues. Attention is also given to the best way to tap the expertise of people with disabilities and their families and where to find educational resources to start disability ministries.
According to Anderson, the latest statistics reveal that there are 400,000 people in Alabama with disabilities. “That’s 18 percent of the general population,” he explained. “Nationally the country has seen an increase from 18 to 22 percent,” Anderson said. “Sixty-three percent of older adults have some type of disability.
Anderson believes with the aging of the largest group of baby boomers these figures will continue to increase. “By the year 2010 the first group of baby boomers will be retiring. Now is the time for churches to start preparing for this,” he said.
Anderson carries these statistics as the gauntlet of his crusade. “There are 8,494 churches in Alabama and 893 of them are in Jefferson County,” he said.
Anderson points out that churches are exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law passed in 1990 which forced businesses and public institutions to comply with federal guidelines for accessibility for the physically disabled. Consequently there are a great number of churches that are not accessible to people with disabilities. This is one of the many reasons that the religion and disabilty program is in such high demand. Anderson travels the state meeting with churches on an individual basis as well as conducting community wide workshops.
This was the case recently in Tuscaloosa where Tuscaloosa Baptist Association helped sponsor an areawide workshop. The Lakeshore Foundation Religion and Disability Program in conjunction with Samford University presented “That All May Worship,” a daylong seminar with 46 people in attendance.
The audience was made up of various community churches as well as interested individuals and local government agencies. The workshop focused on giving churches an assessment of their physical facilities as well as basic steps in implementing programs for disabled members, both physically and mentally. Sessions ranged from, “why the topic of disability is relevant to every congregation,” to “what the families of people with disabilities look for in a congregation.”
During an open forum one person with a recent disability commented, “Just the changes in how people relate to you can be debilitating. It’s been a real eye-opener,” she said.
“Even something as simple as the wording in your church bulletin can make a difference,” Anderson said. “It’s just as easy to say, ‘the congregation may sit or stand’ as it is to say ‘will the congregation please stand.’
“Many people assume that they have no church members with disabilities because they do not see them. That’s just not the case,” Anderson said. “Following attitudes, not having access to restrooms is the number one reason a person with a disability will not return to church.
As an example he cited a case where a church decided to make renovations to their building.
“They were given a $20,000 check to go toward the addition of an elevator. It was made by a church member in a wheelchair who could not come to church because the facility was inaccessible,” he said. “I once had a man tell me that is was easier for him to get his wheelchair into a bar than into a church. We’ve got to change that,” Anderson said.
Lakeshore Foundation teams with Beeson on disability educational model for seminaries
As far as Bob Anderson, director of Lakeshore Foundation’s religion and disability program is concerned, Jesus Christ was the first advocate for people with disabilities.
Anderson says there are more than 100 references in the gospels that refer to disabilities such as epilepsy, deafness, people who are blind and many others. Forty-five of these references are made in association with Jesus’ ministry and the kingdom of God. He points out there are many examples in the Bible of Jesus’ awareness and consideration for people who were physically challenged.
Anderson routinely asks churches that he leads in disability awareness seminars to recall one of the most dramatic gospel passages found in Luke 5:17–19. “The Scriptures tell about a paralyzed man whose friends loved him so much that they rip the roof off a building and lower him down into the fellowship so he can worship alongside everyone else,” he said.
“During my three-and-a half years in seminary I never heard the word disability mentioned a single time. My hunch is this experience is a common one for ministry students across the country,” said Anderson, a Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, Ky.) graduate. “More than most other professions, ministers are approached on a regular basis by church members who have disabilities and related health concerns. Yet the average ministerial student receives no more training about disability than the public at large,” he said. “People with disabilities are living longer, and with modern health advances, they desire to be more active in community life and that includes church life,” he noted. “Statistically 18 percent of the general population have a disability. This means that a 200-member church should have around 36 members with a disability,” he said.
One of the goals with Lakeshore Foundation’s religion and disabilities program is to begin a seminary curriculum project that will seek seminaries to partner with them in developing a model for educating ministry students about disability. “We aren’t the only ones thinking about ministry and disability. There is a small, but growing, number of religious professionals who embrace the call to advance disability education in seminaries and congregations. I am convinced and believe God is using [Lakeshore Foundation] to help shape this dialogue.
“Disability is not a new subject,” he said, “but what is new is that churches are instigating the dialogue on disability awareness.”
Although religious institutions are exempt from the regulations of the federal American With Disabilities Act that has been in effect for 11 years, Anderson said people with disabilities are aware of the law and expect their church congregation to follow suit.
Danny Blair, director of admissions and recruitment at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, agrees there is a great need for including disability in theological education. Blair understands the connection between theology, ministry and disability both in professional and personal terms. His wife of 11 years, Angela, was born deaf and Blair, who is an ordained minister of 20 years, currently serves as the interim pastor of the 50-member Birmingham Community Deaf Church.
Blair is helping Anderson shape the seminary curriculum model. His ultimate goal is to see the establishment of a center for religion and disability at Beeson.
Blair said Beeson and Lakeshore Foundation are in the process of conducting a feasibility study with other accredited theological seminaries across the country. They want to know if there are any seminaries currently including disability education in their curriculum.
“We don’t think this type of education is being addressed,” Blair said, but he believes the feasibility study is the first step in laying the ground work for establishing the center at Beeson.
“Once we conclude there is a need for this then we can start seeking funding,” he explained. Blair sees the center as being an avenue to assist not only theology students but also congregations. “Offering consulting to churches as well as internships for our students could be some of the out-growth of the center,” he said.
The seminary curriculum project ideally would develop in several tiers. First, Beeson would partner with Lakeshore Foundation to implement and expand on the basic model. By the second or third year, at least three other seminaries would be invited to adapt the model for use in their own settings. From that point, the project would further broaden and link with other interested seminaries and theological educators around the country.
It means more than a few courses about ministry and disability.
“The participating seminaries will be asked to find creative ways to thread education about disability throughout all of their courses, where appropriate,” Anderson said. “For example, the subject of disability can be dealt with when it comes up in courses such as New Testament, ethics and church history.”
Both Anderson and Blair agree there is a great need for research and writing about ministry, theology and disability. “Compared to other areas of church and ministry, the matter of disability is just beginning to be explored. We have excellent writers out there who have produced excellent works about ministry, theology and disability but the body of knowledge needs to be increased,” Anderson said.
Checkpoints for churches
Parking and Walkways
- Are there clearly marked accessible parking spaces close to the church building?
- Can one get from a parked car into the building without going up or down steps?
- Are walks at least 48 inches wide with a gradient no greater than 5 percent?
- Do walks have a level platform at the door that is 5 feet by 5 feet and extends at least 1 foot beyond each side of the door?
Ramps and Stairs
- Do ramps have a slope no greater than 1 foot rise in 12 feet and a width of no less than 36 inches?
- Do ramps have handrails on at least one side 32 inches above the surface?
- Do ramps have level platforms in front of doors that have at least 5 feet of straight clearance?
- Are ramps protected from rain and winter icing?
- Do steps avoid abrupt nosing?
- Do stairs have handrails on both sides 32 inches high as measured from the tread at the face of the riser?
- Are open stairs provided with a means of warning the blind, such as slightly raised abrasive strips?
Doors and Doorways
- Do doors have a clear opening of 32 inches or more?
- Are doors operable by a single effort? Note: Double doors are not usable by any with disabilities unless they operate by single effort, or unless one door is 32 inches wide.
- Are doors operable with pressure (81 pounds or less) that could reasonably be expected from disabled persons?
- Do doors with latch hardware have lever or other easy grip handles?
Worship Space
- Are there seating spaces with extra leg room for disabled persons with crutches, walkers, braces or casts?
- Are at least two seats provided for wheelchair users? Note: Several pews could be shortened by 36 inches.
- Is the chancel area accessible to disabled persons to speak or sing in the choir?
- Does lighting (windows, stained glass, etc.) behind the speaker avoid glare? Is there adequate lighting everywhere in the sanctuary?
Restrooms
- Is there at least one accessible toilet on each floor?
- Are towel dispensers mounted no higher than 40 inches from the floor?
- Do toilet rooms have turning space 5 feet by 5 feet to allow traffic of individuals in wheelchairs?
- Is there at least one toilet stall that is at least 36 inches wide, 48 inches clear depth from door closing to front of commode, and a 32-inch door that swings out?
- Does the toilet stall have grab bars on each side?
- Is there a sink wall mounted with 29 inches of clearance from floor to bottom of sink?
- Are faucet controls easy to operate, requiring no difficult finger or hand action?
Water Fountains
- Is there at least one water fountain accessible to people in wheelchairs?
- Is the water fountain mounted with basin no more than 36 inches from the floor? Are the water fountains easily hand operated?
Elevators
- If your church is multistory, does it have an elevator or chair lift? Are all controls 54 inches or less from the floor?
- Is there at least one handrail 32 inches from floor?
Alabama churches becoming aware of needs of disabled
For most people a quick trip to a public restroom is no big deal. But to a person with a physical disability who uses a wheelchair, scooter or other assisting device, it is more often than not a frustrating experience.
“One of my pet peeves is having to struggle to get into position to wash my hands in the sink and then turning to see the paper towel holder at the other end of the room — usually out of my reach,” said Emily Van Vakenburgh of Huntsville, who recently attended a “That All May Worship” disabilities workshop held in Tuscaloosa at Valley View Baptist. Another conference attendee, Linda Lamberth, echoed Van Vakenburgh’s sentiments. “I tried going to the restroom at a McDonalds the other day and I couldn’t get my wheelchair through the stall door which was supposed to be in compliance,” she said with annoyance.
“I’ve been in a wheelchair for the last six years and the way some people treat you because you sit in a chair all day is amazing. I don’t think of myself as disabled‚” said Lamberth, a new resident of Birmingham and former member of Huntsville’s New Haven Baptist Church. “I just happen to sit a lot.”
Illustrating her point, Lamberth, a mother of three, said she recently took up sailing because it was something she had always wanted to do. “I go out on the weekends on a 22-foot boat and sail with my kids. Now how disabled is that?”
“What good is it for a church to paint a blue handicapped parking place in their parking lot if that’s all they’re going to do?” an elderly man inquired. In answer to his question, workshop speaker Chris Aldridge, pastor of Derma Baptist Church, Derma, Miss. and father of a Down’s syndrome child said, “You have to educate people on what a disability is.”
Aldridge offered the following suggestions to the audience:
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- Be open and interested in finding out about a disabled person’s special needs.
- Become informed.
- Get involved with them socially.
- Never compare one person’s disability to another.
- Offer emotional and practical support.
- Allow them to vent their frustrations.
- Keep communication lines open.
- See the person and not the disability.
Betty Brown of Birmingham’s Brewster Road Baptist Church teaches a special needs adult Sunday School class and said her pastor asked her to attend the conference. “We wanted to see what else we could do to minister to them,” she said. “This seminar has given me an increase awareness that each person is an individual and is precious to God with special abilities that need to be utilized,” she said.
Denise Smith, a member of Valley View Baptist and mother of a 15-year-old son with special needs, said she praised the church for the sensitivity and awareness they have for their special needs members. “My son is fully included in everything here at the church. He goes to youth camp in the summer. I was worried about him going but our youth minister said that it was the church’s responsibility to take care of him during camp. I’ve never had anyone try to discourage him from participating in classes with other children. He’s always participated in all church and school activities. He’s a pretty amazing kid,” she said.
Some churches are further down the road in their efforts to start disabilities ministries. Two Birmingham churches, The Church at Brook Hills and Shades Mountain Baptist, both have developed active disability ministries. The ministries are continuing to branch out into specific areas such as a “buddy ministry” for special needs children during Sunday School and church time and “kids night out, respite ministry” for parents of special needs children.
Ron Pittman, buddy ministry coordinator at Brook Hills said their ministry is undergoing phenomenal growth. “We have around 20 buddies right now and the phone keeps ringing with people wanting to get involved,” he said. “This ministry has been a blessing for the children, families and workers,” Pittman said. “It has spread by word of mouth in the Birmingham community and we’ve had several families join the church as a direct result of this ministry being offered for their children.”
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