Video Transcript: Participation Through Universal Design

So I wanted to just again, touch briefly on this idea of universal design. And as I mentioned before, we're borrowing language from architects, we're borrowing language from educators, Universal Design for Learning, but the idea is, we're not going to build this building, we're not going to make a lesson plan without expecting people of varied abilities to be part of that setting. 

So the elevators go in whether you know of that person who's going to use it or not, because they will be there. And we're going to build this lesson plan this way. So the intrigue, again, is to think about that within the context of our church communities. What does universal design look like within a congregational context? And I guess I would, I would really encourage you, it means equal access, we have equal access, but sometimes we might be thinking it's for a particular person, but many more people will benefit. And I just wanted to draw attention to that for just a moment. 

I'm not sure about your community, but in our community, we not only have elevators, but we often have a button, a button that you can push that's going to make those doors open. So you don't have to use your hands, you know, you just push the button, and they automatically open. And I'm not sure, I know you can't see it here, but I'll ask you, do you know what picture is on that button right there? What does that button have on it? In our community, it's a picture a picture of a wheelchair. So clearly, the idea would be if you're a wheelchair user, and you want to get through those doors in an easier fashion, you push the button, they will open for you, you don't need to try to figure out how to maneuver yourself through those doors. But here is where that 100% access makes a ton of sense to me. All right? So the contention with universal design is this is not for persons who are wheelchair users alone. This is for 100% of us. We might use it at some point. 

So I don't know if you've ever been in this situation before, but I have, my hands are full, I've got stuff on books, whatever. Guess what I'm going to do. It's got a wheelchair on it. But guess what I'm going to do to get through those doors. I'm going to push the button. I have now another way to access that. The elevator might have been intended in the building for a person who may have some sort of a wheelchair or arthritis or whatever that may be, but how many people take an elevator because that's just their choice for the day? 

There are so many features around us. What about those curb cut outs, right? I don't know, if you're in a community that does that but then the curb is smooth so that if you're, you're a person who's in a wheelchair, it's easier to get up the curb. You're not trying to get up a step, right? How many people pushing a stroller are going to use the curb cut out, because that's available to them. We use features of universal design a lot, I would imagine. I even found out for those of us that may have a garage and a car that we put in it, I know here in Michigan, we're heading into snow and cold season, and I'm thankful for our garage, but I have this lovely little thing in my car attached right up here, and I just push it and the garage door opens for me. And then I push the button again and it comes down. I don't have to get out of my car. I don't have to lift it up. That device, that garage door opener, was originally intended for use with persons with disabilities who were unable to get out of that car. How many of us now, it's like a standard item that we just have with us? 

There are so many of those pieces. I even think originally a phone or computer, very expensive to get some kind of a program installed where you could speak into the device and it would show up as words on the screen. But how many of you, if you look around you right now, have a device where literally you talk into it and it comes up as a text that's written. So many devices just build it in because everybody can access it if they so choose. You know, I use it all the time. 

I'm going to text somebody in my family. I push the little microphone and I, you know, hey, I hope you have a great day. Whatever that might be. It's built into all of these devices these days. You have a piece of technology, whether you've discovered it or not, there's probably a section in there called Accessibility. It can slow down how long it takes for the letter K to show up on your screen after you've hit it. It can turn, not only speech to text, but also can turn text to speech. So it will read what's on your screen. It's amazing. These things are built into devices. Universal access, universal design, create options and opportunities within something so people can then connect with that particular device. 

So the idea within this particular topic that we're going to talk about participation with universal design, and again, we're going to get into the big pieces and parts. Let's just imagine, and I imagined a few situations with you earlier, that we're going to put together a Bible study for adults. And once again, as in other pieces of universal design, Adult Bible study, most of us are thinking, Oh, my goodness, they're going to read a book, we have to write out our answers, and then we'll talk about it. So now I've got to be able to read to write and to speak. Could we find a Bible study that has other options embedded? Could we find a Bible study where perhaps they don't just use reading… maybe it's a choice, you can get the book in print, or you can get it in an audio Kindle version because once you've got it on your Kindle, again, you can find a device, usually, that will read it to you. So now we've got a couple of options. 

Do we create partnerships where people get together during the week before that session where they can read it together? Do we have to be able to write in this book? Or can we provide the sheet online for people so if they want to type it, or speak into their machine, it shows up on their piece of paper? Again, how can we think for the fact that we don't want to have signs that block the doorway to our Adult Bible study.

I've worked with Friendship Ministries to create an actual adult bible study where this was created by features of universal design. So there are options built in, yep. You can read the Scripture, you can have it play for you on a video, you can do it via drama, and mime, and there are parts that are speaking parts and there are parts that are acting parts that don't involve speech. So the whole thing is set up for adults by universal design. Choices, options, they're just built in. 

This may seem like quite a bit of work, but in most cases, they can be some simple changes. It can be as simple as a word or a practice. We would like everybody to write their, you know, to let us know you're here. Do they have to let you know they're here by writing it out in this book? Or could they go to the visitor station afterwards and have that person, you know, enter their information? Do you care which way you get the information, because I will tell you, there are people that are really uncomfortable when that book goes past them, because doing this on those lines is not going to work? 

So again, how do we create opportunities, build in options within what we do, so that we are providing points of participation for all those who attend? Universal design, I will tell you right now, is one of my favorite things, can you tell, because it allows us to not point out okay, well, you know, we brought along these fidget bags, these pew pouches, whatever it's going to be for Rob and Joanne, because Rob and Joanne don't always want to be highlighted out there. 

There are cultural reasons, we're going to talk about that, where if I'm going to introduce somebody as having a disability and within that culture that perhaps is viewed as a place of shame for a family, they're not going to come back, if I'm going to do it that way. Universal Design says look, guess what we're all created green, and pink. We all have areas of gift and challenge. We're just going to create several options within our time together in worship, within our Sunday school, within our youth group, so that we've had a chance to welcome each worshiper into that space, each child or each adult. So I again, we're going to talk many examples in the children and youth category in the worship category. 

One of the roles that I fill is that of a partner affiliate with a Calvin Institute of Christian worship. And this idea of universal design for worship has been something that has been grown and looked at through many different people now, and lenses, and such tried and true practices are happening out there in congregations that range in denomination and size. We had a gathering not too long ago of a set of congregations, all doing amazing things in this category of universal design. One was a church of I believe they said 56,000 people and other church had 150 people, both of them using this tool to create avenues of participation. So it's not certainly based on size; it's just creating options and tools within your environment. 

So I'm excited to introduce you to even more of that. Some of the thinking within the Calvin institute will connect you with some of the key articles and some of the key presentations that have been done through the Calvin Institute of Christian worship. And by the way, they operate in a very international way. So they have opportunities for connections from around the world. And as you look up some things on their website, make sure you understand who they are as an organization, because the idea of worship not thinking only about worshiping with people of all abilities, but worshiping in multicultural ways, worship, in ways that are diverse, and within certain denominations, they have just done so much study around sacraments and equip congregations to do study so that they too can take this material and look more into that and apply it within their setting. So another great organization to be aware of, and I'll be linking you with that in some of the homework portions so that you have a chance to experience the website of the Calvin Institute of Christian worship. 

So universal design, get excited. I would encourage you to look around you even wherever it is that you live. Look, have your eyes open for those features that are just built in that seem to serve a variety of people. Have a wonderful day.