This is a practical exploration of some common access tools
and accommodations for people with “hidden” disabilities.
This list is not exhaustive, and it should
also not be used an excuse not to talk with people about their access needs; it
should be used as a starting place for thought, worship, and conversation.
I strongly recommend reading part 1 first.
Transportation
·
Is there public transportation to the
Meeting? To the locations of committee
meetings? Is the public transit schedule
such that someone can actually use it to get to and from Meeting events? How far a walk are the most usable public
transit stops?
·
Is information about parking and public transit clearly available on the
website and in printed materials? Is
parking available nearby? How far a walk
is it?
·
Does the Meeting subsidize transportation costs
for people with disabilities (and other people in the Meeting) who may need
it?
Lighting
·
Is the Meeting community in touch with the kinds
of lighting that do and don’t work for Friends with disabilities? Are different forms of lighting
available?
·
Lighting needs to be bright enough for most
people to see but without producing too much glare. If your meeting space has windows, it’s often
tempting to turn out the lights and rely on natural light alone. For some people, that light will not be enough
for them to see sufficiently; for others, the contrast and glare can trigger
neurological symptoms. Check first.
·
Presentations: Rather than automatically turning
out the lights during presentations to highlight the projector screen, ask what
kind of lighting works best for the people present. Being in a mostly-dark room with some bright
light can trigger neurological symptoms for some people. Keeping all the lights on can make it
difficult for people with low vision or other vision difficulties to see the
screen. Having the lights on away from
the screen, and off near the screen, works well for many people. As always, checking with the people in the
room is the best way to make sure their needs are met.
Ensure the people with the loudest voices are
not the only people whose needs are respected.
·
Fluorescent lighting is a known trigger for a
host of issues, including but not limited to seizures, migraines, headaches,
and skin problems. Some people tolerate
fluorescent lighting better than others.
If people in your Meeting have difficulties, arrange for alternative lighting,
such as halogen lamps, incandescent lamps, or LEDs. If you are using fluorescent bulbs in regular
fixtures, this can be as simple as changing the bulbs to another type. If your building has overhead tube lighting,
alternatives can be as simple as bringing in table or floor lamps, and not
using the fluorescent overhead lighting.
Bathrooms
·
Are bathrooms well-signed? Can someone unfamiliar with the building find
the bathroom quickly if they leave the Meeting room, social hall, or Business
Meeting in a hurry?
·
Are Friends easily able to leave the room to use
the bathroom, take medication, or eat a snack, and easily able to return? Are they discouraged from leaving or
re-entering? If you have doorkeepers,
how do they handle this? Do Friends
frown when people get up, leave, and come back during worship, business
meetings, or committee meetings? What
are the unspoken – or spoken – conventions around leaving and coming back?
·
Does your Meeting have one or more all-gender
bathrooms, and space where people can change clothes, which are ADA-compliant?
Do transgender and genderqueer people with
disabilities have safe, accessible bathrooms and changing space?
·
A number of disabilities and disabling
conditions require people to use the toilet frequently. It can be very helpful to have bathrooms
close to Meeting rooms, though this is not always something under our
control.
Seating
·
Is the Meeting community familiar with the
different kinds of seating Friends need?
Are different kinds of seating available during worship, social time, Meeting
for Worship with Attention to Business, and committee meetings?
·
For some people, benches might be fine. Some people need soft seating. Some can’t use soft chairs and need a hard
chair with back support. Some people
with asthma and other pulmonary problems can’t use upholstered furniture. Having different kinds of seating available
in worship but not Business Meeting, for example, communicates that Friends
with disabilities are welcome in worship but not business. Having different kinds of seating available
in worship, social, and business spaces communicates that Friends with
different needs are welcome in the full life of the Meeting and makes the
Meeting more accessible to more Friends.
Heating and cooling
·
Are the worship, social, and business spaces
warm enough – and cool enough? Spaces
that are cold are often not accessible to people with chronic pain, arthritis,
asthma and other pulmonary conditions, and neurological, orthopedic, and other
disabilities. Similarly, spaces that are
too warm are also barriers to access. To
non-disabled Friends, a meeting space that is too cool or too warm is an
inconvenience; to many disabled Friends, a meeting space that is too cool or
too warm is inaccessible and means we can’t participate, or that if we do
participate we will face consequences such as increased pain and disability.
Timing and scheduling
·
Are the schedules for worship, business, and
social events available in advance? Does
the community adhere to those schedules, especially with respect to break times
and meals?
·
People with various disabilities may need to use
the bathroom more often, may need to eat at regular intervals, may need to time
medication to food, may not be able to sit for extended periods, and more.
Asking, “Is it all right if we go on?” puts
PWDs on the spot and forces us to ask for our access needs to be
respected.
Adhering to schedules helps
us plan and makes events more accessible to more people.
·
Do the times for Meeting for Worship, Meeting
for Worship with Attention to Business, and committee meetings work for people
with disabilities? Has the X Committee
in your Meeting always met on the first Thursday night of the month, and always
will?
·
It may be traditional to hold Meeting for
Worship on First Day morning, but having worship even once a month in the
afternoon or evening might make it possible for people to come who otherwise
can’t. Scheduling Meeting for Worship
with Attention to Business is always an extremely interesting process, and it’s
all too easy for the voices of people with disabilities to get lost, for our
presence to become less of a priority than that of other Friends. If X committee always meets at night, Friends
for whom night-time committee meetings aren’t possible may never even consider
serving on X committee, and may never be asked, even if the Meeting very much needs
their gifts there.
·
How are late-comers welcomed?
·
People with disabilities cannot always know how
long it will take us to get ready or to get someplace, and those of us who rely
on other people or on public transit to get to Meeting are not always in
control of what time we arrive. Shaming
late-comers, treating lateness as a problem, and making late-comers sit in a
separate area communicates that people with disabilities are not welcome, that
it would be better if we hadn’t come at all than had come but arrived
late.
Microphones
·
Does your Meeting have a sound system? Do people use it?
·
A good sound system is an essential
accessibility tool for many Meetings. It’s
very easy, and very tempting, to believe a meeting space is small enough, or
people’s voices are loud enough, that everyone can hear. Shouting does not, in fact, make it possible
for everyone to hear; for many of us, it makes it harder. Accessibility for Friends who are hard of
hearing is not simply about volume; it’s about a whole host of factors. Hearing loops do not serve all Friends and
newcomers who are hard of hearing.
·
It’s also very easy to assume that using
microphones in Meeting for Worship will be disruptive, unwieldy, or too
difficult.
There are a number of
Meetings and other Quaker groups whose experience with the use of microphones
during Meeting for Worship and Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
has been extremely positive, including Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, and Queer Concerns (FLGBTQC).
Fragrance
·
Is the soap in the bathrooms
fragrance-free? Is the space cleaned
with fragrance-free products?
·
Is it a Meeting policy to ask Friends and
visitors to forego using fragranced personal care products, including perfume,
cologne, aftershave, hair styling products, and lotions when coming to Meeting
events, and not to use them on the premises?
·
Is that policy clearly stated on the website, in
signs on-site, and in printed and emailed announcements? Are there periodic written and verbal
announcements to remind Friends?
·
How do Friends, and especially elders in the
community and/or the equivalent(s) of Ministry and Counsel, intervene when
people do wear or use fragranced products?
·
Most commercially-available window cleaners
contain chemicals which often trigger headaches, breathing difficulties, and
neurological problems. Many eco-friendly
window cleaning products which contain ingredients such as vinegar and
vegetable-based soaps are much less hazardous to people with disabling
conditions. These are also easy and
inexpensive to make; ingredients and recipes are readily available on-line and
in books.
·
Please note that while many products marketed as
eco-friendly are fragrance-free, not all of them are; many contain essential
oils to make products smell “nice.” The
fragrances in essential oils can still trigger problems. Look for explicitly fragrance-free products
(not necessarily “unscented”). It’s
essential to read ingredients lists.
·
It’s important that keeping a space as
fragrance-free as possible is everyone’s responsibility, not just that of
people with disabilities or Friends with chemical sensitivities. It’s ableist and unfair for expect a
particular subset of Friends to carry the burden of removing an obstacle to
their participation in the life of the Meeting, and in fact it creates another
obstacle in and of itself.
·
Please do not, ever, ask someone with fragrance
or chemical sensitivities to smell something and tell you whether it’s all
right. Doing so is asking them to risk
being made very ill, not being able to get home safely, and being disabled for
days. Read labels.
·
A number of Quaker and non-Quaker organizations
and individuals keep lists of fragrance-free personal care and cleaning
products on-line, including Friends General Conference
and this author.
Food
·
When providing food or at potlucks, does the
Meeting make provision for a wide range of food needs, rather than what is
perceived as the lowest common denominator?
For potlucks, are Friends encouraged to bring a variety of foods?
·
When life-threatening allergies exist, does the
Meeting insist Friends not bring foods containing those specific allergens?
·
Is food labeling part of the Meeting’s culture
and expectations? Are there supplies
available so people who have not made labels at home can do so on-site? Do Friends commonly help make labels for
people for whom writing is difficult or painful, or who can’t see?
·
Does everyone understand it’s critical not to
mix serving utensils without a thorough washing?
·
Do Friends respect each others’ food needs?
·
Avoid commenting on and questioning food
preferences and restrictions. Don’t ask someone why they can’t eat something,
don’t tell them that someone else you know who has the same disability or
medical condition can eat the thing they’re not eating, don’t tell them their
inability to eat something is a fad, don’t tell them the food they’re not
eating won’t really hurt them. That’s
ableist and disrespectful. Most of all,
don’t try to convince people to eat things they say they can’t eat, and do not deliberately
serve them food or drink containing something they have said they can’t eat. That’s dangerous.
Managing dust and mold
·
Are your worship, social, and business spaces
cleaned regularly, with fragrance-free products? Are the cushions vacuumed? Are moisture and mold managed?
·
Dust and mold are problems for people with
allergies, neurological and pulmonary conditions, and more. There are a number of lovely Meeting houses
that are inaccessible to people with disabilities and chronic illnesses because
of mold and dust problems.
Names
·
Are name tags available, and do people wear them
consistently?
·
Is it a Meeting practice to share names verbally
at the rise of Meeting, or at the beginning of Meeting for Worship with
Attention to Business, committee meetings, and other Meeting events, even if
it’s believed everyone knows each other?
·
Some people with learning disabilities, memory
problems, or neurological disabilities will never be able to learn everyone’s
names, no matter how long they’ve been part of a Meeting community and no
matter how hard they try. They may have
known you for twenty years and can remember everything you’ve told them about
your garden, they may know your name most of the time, but at any given moment they
may not be able to pull your name from memory.
People who cannot recognize faces might or might not be able to discern
people’s names from other cues. Name
tags are an access tool: they make it possible for many people with disabilities
to use people’s names, literally giving them access to names they wouldn’t
otherwise have.
·
People who cannot see or who have low vision
have no way know who is present at Meeting unless people’s names are shared
verbally. In some meetings, whether
small or large, it is the custom to go around the room at the rise of worship
and share everyone’s names. This helps
people with neurological, memory, or learning disabilities as well as people
who can’t see everyone.
Noise
·
Are side conversations discouraged during
announcements, Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, and committee
meetings, so that everyone may hear?
·
Are the people speaking during announcements,
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, and committee meetings clearly
visible to everyone in the room who is able to see? Are there clear lines of sight so that people
who are hard of hearing or Deaf/deaf are able to see people’s faces and lips
when they are speaking?
·
Are there quiet spaces available at the rise of
Meeting, and during social time and other events, for people for whom noise is
painful, overwhelming, or may trigger a disabling medical event?
·
It can be very difficult for people who have
sensory issues and/or who are hard of hearing to hear what is being said when
there is background noise or conversation, including side conversations. People who have sensory and/or other
neurological issues, or who use hearing aids, can have real difficulty in noisy
spaces or spaces with a lot of background noise. Discouraging side conversations during
announcements and other business, and making sure quiet spaces are available
during social time, makes Meeting more accessible to more people.
·
Are ultrasonic rodent repellents turned off
during Meeting for Worship, Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business,
social time, committee meetings, and other events?
·
Ultrasonic rodent repellents are known to cause
headaches for many Friends.
Touch
·
Does the Meeting practice consent culture?
Do people ask before touching each other,
whether putting a hand on their arm or giving a hug?
Is “No” a socially-acceptable answer?
Are Friends welcoming if someone waves or
blows kisses instead of hugging?
·
Are children encouraged to decide for themselves
whether to hug or kiss adults, or to accept hugs or kisses from them? Are children taught to ask before touching
adults or other children, even in affection?
·
For many Friends with who have sensory issues,
balance problems, neurological conditions, orthopedic conditions, chronic pain,
other disabilities, and/or who are survivors of interpersonal violence, touch
can be painful, overwhelming, or actually dangerous.
·
People with disabilities have a higher
likelihood than non-disabled people to have experienced assault.
·
Non-disabled people often touch disabled people
without their consent when trying to be helpful: for example, moving a blind
person to where they believe that person needs to be or is trying to go; moving
someone’s wheelchair; etc. This is an
invasion of personal space. It can also
be actively dangerous for people with various disabilities and disabling
conditions. Always ask before touching. Never
“help” a PWD without asking for and gaining consent first.
·
How does your Meeting cue the end of
worship?
·
How do people who are Deaf/deaf, blind or have low
vision know Meeting has ended?
·
If your Meeting shakes hands, what transition is
there between worship and hand-shaking for people who cannot go directly from
worship to touching other people?
·
Are alternative greetings besides hand-shaking
available and welcome for people for whom going from worship to touching means
sensory overstimulation or is unsafe, or who simply don’t like touch? Are Friends welcoming and supportive if
someone waves or nods instead of shaking hands?
Announcements
·
Are printed and emailed announcements
available?
·
These help people with auditory processing
difficulties, poor short-term memory, and cognitive problems, people who have
low vision or are blind and use screen-readers on their computers, people who
are hard of hearing, and others.
Signs
·
Are there clear signs in the building? Can people with short-term memory problems
who may not remember verbal directions to the Meeting room, social hall, or
bathrooms still find those places?
Child care /
children’s programming
·
Is child care available for young children with disabilities? Is the program for older children accessible
to children with disabilities, whether they can’t sit still, have sensory
processing difficulties, use a wheelchair, have developmental disabilities, or have
other access needs?
Movement during
worship
·
Are Friends encouraged to move quietly during
worship when they need to? Are Friends
supported in doing handwork, reading, writing, standing, walking, wiggling, or
fidgeting to stay centered in worship?
·
Are Friends easily able to leave the room to use
the bathroom, eat, or take medication, and easily able to return?
·
Do Friends accept noise from medical equipment,
service animals, or adults or children getting up, turning pages of a book,
etc., as a blessing of being in beloved community? Is worship deep enough that such noise is
absorbed without disturbance?
Ramps, elevators, and hearing
loops revisited
·
This may seem obvious, but: 1) Do they work?,
and 2) Is the entire space accessible, not just the Meeting room?
·
Are there automatic doors? Can someone who uses a wheelchair get into
the building, get into worship space, and also get into social space and
business space? Does the elevator fit a
wheelchair? Can someone who uses a
wheelchair actually use the bathroom?
·
Does the hearing loop work? Where is it available? Are events always held in spaces where it is
available and working?
Availability of
information
·
Is information about accessibility freely
available on-line and in printed materials, where both established members of
the community and newcomers can find it easily?
Does someone already need to be a member of the community in order to
have their access needs met, to be welcome if they have a disability?
·
Are minutes and materials for Meeting for
Worship with Attention to Business available electronically?
·
This is helpful for people who use screen
readers. It also helps people who cannot
always be present in person to stay active in the life of the community.
·
Is your website screen-reader compatible?
·
Does your website have pop-ups?
·
Many websites hosted on free providers have
pop-ups, which often make it difficult for people with visual or motor issues
to navigate web sites.
·
Having good information available on your
website, including newsletters and minutes, makes it easier for Friends with
different disabilities to participate fully in the life of the Meeting.
If you do not want minutes to be available to
the public, they may be password-protected using various tools, including the
Quaker Cloud.
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