Well, welcome again the next session here in week two. I hope you enjoyed hearing Dan's Voice and then seeing a little bit more about those puzzle pieces as well, and how this all kind of forms together in the perspective that is so crucial as the first part of our plan, and how this ministry example or framework can work for you. So I want to spend a little bit of time today talking about the next part. And so we're going to focus on participation for all through Universal Design for worship. And so I'm just going to talk briefly about what that means, and then we're going to spend further on that diving more deeply in the weeks ahead. So what is universal design? Anyway? That sounds like a pretty technical term, and in some ways it is. So let me share with you where that came from. Universal design comes from architecture and elevators and push button doors are a great example of this in many countries and in many industrialized areas. So when they are going to build a building that has multiple stories. They put in stairs, but their construction crew also puts in an elevator shaft, and I love that it's the first thing to be put into the building, because you can tell this new building is going to have multiple stories. There's the elevator shaft, and it's the very first thing that you see in their construction but they didn't go around the neighborhood trying to find out if there were people who use wheelchairs or walkers who might be using this building, and if so, oh, well, then I think we'll put an elevator in for you. They just expect that people with disabilities are going to be using this space. So they build in that elevator from the start right, or they put in those push button doors so that there are features that allow people to use the option that works for them to open the door, to get in, to get to the next story. And that's exactly what we're talking about when we say universal design. It's something that's put in place that, yes, helps one particular person, like the wheelchair user of the depiction on that push button door, but it also helps those of us who are using a stroller or have a sprained ankle or simply have our arms full and we're going to push the button, we're the button in order to get in the door. So it's universally helpful. It's designed to help a lot of people, maybe 100% of the people who are going to use that space or be engaged in this thing. So universal design was borrowed from architecture in that way, and now educators has been using this to talk about Universal Design for Learning, and what they're talking about is these multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, multiple means of engagement. Or what I like to just say, Show, engage and express, these three principles of what is now known as Universal Design for Learning. Remember, I said I was an educator bringing ideas out of the best practices in education. We're going to go through this in ways that I think will make some sense to you, as we talk about show and engage and express in our worship context. But really, as my mentors taught me, it's thinking about options. So it's like thinking about not just the snack that's this neat little snack that fits in a can like Pringles. It's thinking about snacks that come in all kinds of sizes and shapes and flavors. Because if I'm bringing snacks for today, I might want to think to have options for those who can't eat nuts, for those who are gluten free or sugar free or dairy free, or you name it, right? I just want to provide some options so that everybody can choose the snack that works for them. If I do that, then I'm exhibiting this universal design concept of just offering options. Think of it like when your church is asking for offerings in tithes. You provide a lot of different ways for people to do that. They can write a check or give cash or use a text feature or something online to click right what are the options that you provide? You provide a lot of options because you want people to have a way to engage that works for them so that they do it. The same is true of everything else we do in our churches, let's provide options so that each one can participate in a way that works for them. Let me give you some more examples. These examples come from churches that I've worked with, but also from some other students in this course. So here we go. Think about seating and the supports you might prepare in advance. You have places, for example, where someone can park their wheelchair, their walker or their stroller, or maybe you bring some pictures along to talk with someone through the worship service and what they're going to be experiencing. So it's the thoughts of putting something in place in advance, knowing that it will be helpful to someone. So it's kind of anticipatory, if you will. Some other ideas from some churches that I've been to, things like having praise flags as a way of showing your worship, or using sign language as an option for communicating, both to pay attention to what is being preached and spoken and sung, but also as a way of expressing some other things. To offer this worship opportunity where they had Yay God moments, and it allowed everyone to participate, and they simply had the words on the screen that said, Yay God and people, whether they used words to communicate or not, maybe they just hit drum sticks or raised their hands or just jumped up and down in excitement, people would share something that had been God had been at work in their life, or a praise report, or a way of saying, God, we love you. And others would say, Yay, God and raise their hands. Or this young man would raise his drumsticks. And so churches just offering different ways of expressing right? So that's one example from some churches that I've been a part of. Another top pick is visual schedules. And this one is at a church where you can see they put these things along a side wall, in a space where someone can watch and participate in the service from kind of a side room, and also see and know the order in which things are going to happen. And an order of worship is something extremely helpful for a lot of people. So we'll see those come up again in strategies, and I'll lead you through some different examples of how those can be done and some resources for creating those but really popular one, students in Turks and Caicos Islands says visual schedules can be incredibly helpful for everyone, they provide a clear outline of the day's events or the order of a service, which can reduce anxiety and help everyone stay on track by implementing visual schedules, the entire congregation can benefit from a structured and predictable environment, making it easier for all members to participate fully. And I just love that. I think this student totally grasped the idea really, really well. Another student in the United States who's previously been through this course says most people often feel more comfortable when they know what's going to come next, especially if it's their first time in a new church. Visual schedules could be a fun, creative and informative way to let the congregation know what the flow of the morning is going to be at church, and so again, just saying, I think these students really got it, and I'm excited to hear what the concepts are that you get throughout this course, so that we can share that more fully as well. Second pick among students of this course is sensory friendly items, or spaces. So a student in Surabia, Indonesia says sensory tools ensure that individuals who are sensitive to sensory input, whether it's due to autism or other reasons, have ways to manage their environment comfortably. A student in the US notes a lot of people need to stim or stimulate themselves, or even neurotypical people. And these are some language we'll get into and explain further. Plus, if they're widely available, that would normalize and encourage neurodivergent people to use them. So essentially saying, the more things you have available, the more normal it is to actually use them, and then the more utilized they'll be by the people who need them. So what you see pictured here is kind of a sensory break room on the very left, with padding and just some things to do, but it's an alternative worship space for people who've had maybe some sensory overload. There's something at one church. They just call it the rest area, and I love this sign that says this way to the rest area, and then there's this nice couch and kind of cozy place to be, and they remind you trust in him at all times. O people pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. God is a God of Sabbath and of rest. So giving a rest area in your church is a brilliant idea. And then these sermon doodle boards are just one way that a church was providing an option for people to engage in the service. Have something to doodle on and again, right? This works for everybody. Can be helpful universally. So a few of the things just to highlight what some churches have done and what some students have noted in previous versions of this course as we get started, but I want to show you briefly some aspects of accessibility. Remember, I talked about how accessibility is one of those journeying elements that helps us to bring more people with disabilities into the spaces and bring their voice to the table. And so as we talk about universal design, I think it is helpful to talk a little bit about aspects of accessibility. I don't want to focus on these a lot, because we're going to dive into some more deeply later in the course. But I wanted to mention it here that as we articulate some aspects of accessibility, these are ones that have been identified by people with disabilities, that architecture is really important, the physical features of the church, right? Attitude? Oh, do I need to say it again how important attitude is, right? The views regarding disability expressed in our words and our actions. Communication is extremely important, contributions and having opportunities to share one's gifts, the expectations, especially those unspoken assumptions, the rules. Regarding how we behave and the things that we do, especially the ones that we don't actually have written out, can be very important to think about. So are all of these things excluding or including people by how accessible they are? Interactions thinking about this dimension and the social exchanges. Church is a very social place. So what do we have in place that's making those social interactions accessible for everyone? Our liturgy, the structure, the sequence and the predictability of our worship services, our postures, our stance and our flexibility to adapt to the needs of others. How willing are we to be interrupted or to have different kinds of noises, or to do something new and maybe unique to us, because it hasn't been in your theological training or your your ministry experience so far, that kind of posture of just being willing to try something different, a sense of community, sensory factors, and again, We're going to get more depth into these later on, but a few more. There are 15 of these, so supports that are in place, those individual pieces that we're going to talk about in our next segment about personalized planning, technology. We have a lot of tools and devices available around the world now, so use what's at your fingertips and see what there is that is increasing accessibility for all. But I do want to warn you that sometimes technology can be a barrier for some of us, and maybe a disability in the area of technology can be something to be aware of as well. So technology is a great one, but also our theology. What are our beliefs around disability? Which is why, again, we started with scripture. What does scripture tell us about this? And so I will also be giving you some resources to look into if you'd like to dive deeper into the theology around disability and the teachings in that. Transportation is a big issue. How are people going to get here if they don't drive, if they don't see right? All of the limitations that we think about for being a part of our churches, transportation is a big, big piece. And then finally, understanding so the extent to which our preaching, our readings and other information are shared in clear and understandable ways. And I am trying to model both visuals and different modes of expressing information in this course, so that you also can model that in your community as well, because we want to make things accessible. So again, accessibility not necessarily the same as universal design, but I think we needed to touch on that when we talk about universal design, because it does intermix quite a bit, and it's extremely important to think about our accessibility features so that all can participate. So next time we're going to talk about individualized planning, let's dive a little bit more into that before we jump into further weeks in creating congregations of belonging with people of all abilities. 



கடைசியாக மாற்றப்பட்டது: வியாழன், 16 ஏப்ரல் 2026, 9:27 AM