How Accessible Are We?

The Christian Reformed Church has stated on multiple occasions its desire to be a place where “everybody belongs and everybody serves.” As part of this commitment, the CRCNA has pledged to be a caring community that recognizes the needs and gifts of people with physical, emotional, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. This has included adopting a Resolution on Disabilities in 1985, recommending compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1993, encouraging a network of disability concerns consultants and congregational contacts in 2000, recommending a church-wide celebration of Disability Awareness Week every October starting in 2009, and pledging in 2011 to make sure synod is fully accessible. It also asked all CRC congregations to adopt disability policies and to appoint at least one person to serve as the congregation’s disability advocate. So, how are we doing? Here are a few statistics as reported in the last Yearbook survey.

• 56% of churches (563) provide barrier-free sound
• 40% of churches (399) provide barrier-free projection
• 3% of churches (31) offer sign language interpretation
• 19% of churches (190) have a program for those with intellectual disabilities
• 49% of churches (491) offer transportation to those with disabilities
• 38% of churches (382) have a disability advocate