Reading Assignment 11: Article on Reformed Worship, and excerpt fromWorship As One: varied Abilities in the Body of Christ, pp. 51-55

Universal Design in Worship - article on ReformedWorship.org: 

Read this short article by Barbara Newman: https://www.reformedworship.org/resource/universal-design-worship, then read the excerpt below from Barbara Newman's Worship As One: Varied Abilities in the Body of Christ. 

Delighting in the Possibilities for Congregations

I am a huge fan of universal design for congregations. Many churches respond to the goal of welcoming persons with varied abilities through the making of personalized plans for individuals who need any form of support. Certainly, that is an important part of a congregational plan (and one we’ll discuss in the next chapter about responsive design), but so many miss out on the delight of thinking about participation and universal design. We can identify many reasons why focusing on universal design makes sense in a congregation. Let me name a few.

You can prepare in advance. You don’t have to wait for an individual to show up or voice a need. Congregations can assume persons with varied abilities will be part of each setting. Begin to choose some items and put them in place. Every ministry area in the church can add universal design to their meeting agenda. What can we provide to increase options while limiting the number of unwanted and unintended signs at our ministry or event doors that hide the welcome sign from view? Remember, a good disability ministry is a lot more like shredded cheese than a stand-alone can. Shredded cheese is sprinkled through the entire congregational recipe, and universal design helps each portion of the church be more accessible to a greater number of people.

The right people oversee options. So often a congregation taps a person or committee to take the lead in creating a welcome place of belonging for persons with disabilities. While such a person or committee can play a vital role, as I’ll suggest later, many other leaders in the church are quick to pass the baton to that person or committee. Here is the problem with that model when it comes to universal design. If, for example, the preacher for the day “owns” both the content of the message and the concept of universal design, they will be able to plant the right visual, create the right “big idea,” and plan a movement break within the message as needed because that person best knows the content of the message. If the “disability coordinator” was in charge of making this happen, they may not have the expertise in preaching, and the preacher may not like the ideas or be comfortable with the delivery. The preacher knows how to preach. The worship leader knows worship. The children’s teacher knows how to interact with children. The custodian knows what the best products are for cleaning. The office support staff knows how to create documents. If these natural leaders with giftings in these areas understand some basic principles for universal design, these people are best equipped to choose and implement what makes sense within their areas. Given the information about people’s sensory differences and aversions to certain smells, the custodian can choose the right products for cleaning the church. Given information about the importance of large-print resources and how to achieve that, the office support staff can make sure a large-print handout exists for every gathering.

To have one person or a committee be aware of and promote person-first language is great, but to have those who hold the microphone each week practice it will transform your community much more quickly. Natural leaders “own” their areas, and the responsibility to implement universal design features in that area should belong to that individual. Look into the “Utilize Best Practices” section at the end of this chapter for examples and links to help you think about the various roles in the church and how each role can be versed in universal design.

The impact is not just for the 20 percent; it’s for the 100 percent. True to the name, universal design is for all those who gather. The term varied abilities applies to all of us. While it’s important to think specifically about community belonging and persons with disabilities, the options put in place through universal design are intended to impact a much larger number of people.

Take, for example, a pastor who decides that each week the message will be accompanied by an object hidden in a treasure chest. At some point during the message, that object will be revealed and will clearly illustrate the big idea of the message from Scripture. How many people will learn and remember that point more clearly with a much-anticipated item hidden away and revealed to the group? I would contend that more than 80 percent of those gathered will appreciate that feature. Children in particular may look forward to that unveiling each week. If your community includes persons who are not fluent in the language used in the oral presentation, that person has an important link to the message. If you are a learner who remembers best when a visual is used, you will appreciate it too. Visuals are often important for persons living with dementia as well. And if a person has tuned out for some of the message, a visual is a wonderful way to bring them back into the experience. What’s more, if the visual is an object that someone can touch and feel, this may be a great benefit for a person who has limited or no vision. And with all this, we may have just exceeded the 80 percent mark and are now soaring to at least 90 percent of your congregation. The effort you put in impacts all members of your community in a positive way. Best said, universal design for a physical space and universal design for learning is a great “bang for your buck” in terms of time, energy and resources invested.

A focus on universal design decreases the demand for personalized plans. Personalized plans are still important and make up the third strand in this three-part plan. The reality is that they can take time and energy to put together. Furthermore, they often single people out, as in “this is Ally’s plan.” Ally may indeed need a specific plan; however, it’s also possible that a children’s ministry set up according to principles of universal design can eliminate the need for a personalized plan. Perhaps the leaders have stocked each children’s meeting area with a few options for children who need to have regular movement to focus and concentrate. If that leader has been equipped to understand how to use a fidget pencil or a wiggle cushion or knows when to offer options to sit on the floor, in a rocking chair, or stand for the telling of the Bible story, then Ally’s need for movement can simply be part of “standard equipment and procedures” that are routinely available in that setting. The leaders may be surprised how many other children will take advantage of that equipment as well. Plus, if a parent knows that Ally needs this equipment to be successful and they see multiple rooms with these items, it’s delightful to see how this equipment can speak a word of hospitality to Ally and her parents. These items call out, “We were expecting you. You are welcome here. We’ve got this covered.”

We will explore this further in the “Responsive Design” section, but it’s worth noting here the work of Dr. María Cornou (program manager for international and intercultural learning for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship) that supports the idea that highlighting universal design better welcomes families for whom a personalized plan may be culturally difficult to receive.^[1]

You can start small or big. Another excellent feature of universal design is that you can choose options that make sense for your community. If this concept is completely new to your congregation, you may want to choose three or four ideas that make sense. Perhaps you will decide to offer a gluten-free choice during the Lord’s Supper, alter your “please stand” invitation to “please rise in body or in spirit,” and offer a large-print option for your handouts, bulletins, and newsletters. Start there and add more pieces to your universal design plan as you become comfortable with the concept.

Perhaps you’ll begin your focus in the worship area or the youth group area and then let it filter to other places. Perhaps your congregation already sees a big benefit to this. You may want to schedule a retreat or a leadership day when you carefully examine your areas of oversight and decide which specific options you may want to implement. See the practical ideas shared at the end of this chapter for resources to guide that process. Plan, implement, and then evaluate after a few months. What do you want to alter, add, or delete to the plan? Your implementation of universal design principles can be totally individualized to the comfort and calling of your congregation.