August 2024 

Volume 14, No. 4

Ramps are a popular choice when remodeling for chancel accessibility

Spokane Valley UMC, PNW Conference

Greetings in Christ! 

We are delighted to showcase ways that UMC congregations are making their chancels accessible to everyone. This issue lifts up stories of pastors and preachers who do not always experience accessibility and are limited by the architectural and attitudinal barriers they encounter. The pastors also share stories of what their congregations have done to ensure they are able to fully use their gifts.

There are various ways to make your chancel accessible and we explore a number of such options. The articles explain factors which make specific solutions better for different chancel and sanctuary configurations.

This double issue is longer than our usual newsletters, but it will be worth it to read to the end! We expanded our concept of chancel and pulpit accessibility to learn about the kinds of accommodations that are beneficial for pastors and others participating in worship who have low vision, are hard of hearing, are light-sensitive, and are autistic. Of course each disabled pastor and worship leader is an individual, and what works for one person may not for someone else, but these ideas make it easier for many of us!

May each of you find something new that you can try out in your own setting to help make worship leadership inclusive of all!

Blessings,

Deaconess Lynn Swedberg, editor and author of any article not otherwise credited

Scroll down to read all about chancel and pulpit accessibility!

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Disability Ministries Committee of the UMC

UM Association of Ministers with Disabilities

UM Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries 

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I grew up in a United Methodist congregation, and I grew up a wheelchair user. Singing in the children’s choir was a staple for a church kid in the 1990’s, and I was no exception. I loved singing in the choir, except when we performed in the worship service and I could not stay in my wheelchair because our chancel was not accessible. My mom would have to lift me from my wheelchair and seat me in an ordinary chair on the chancel.

When I was about 10 years old, our sanctuary had a fire and needed to be gutted and rebuilt. My church took the opportunity to add ramp access to the chancel. Exciting … until you realize that the ramp was positioned way off the side behind the organ, and the contemporary worship band stored their instruments and equipment right where the ramp exited onto the stage. But we had a ramp, and I used it until I left my home church to go to seminary.

Years later, I am a seminary graduate who has had to wrestle with the idea that many chancels and pulpits are not going to be accessible. I used to say that God’s voice through me will be heard, whether from the bottom of the stairs or from the pulpit. But truthfully, that is just giving churches a pass on becoming accessible to all of God’s creation. 

Not having an accessible chancel tells the little girl in a wheelchair singing in the kid’s choir that she is not worthy to wheel to the altar. It tells the youth who is struggling with their body image and self-image that she is always to be left at the bottom of the stairs. It tells that liturgist who uses a walker that they are too old and feeble to read God’s word for the congregation.

Truthfully, a pulpit can be anywhere, but there is a special emphasis on the chancel and pulpit area. It's a space deemed sacred, with an altar area and the pulpit from which historically only the preacher could speak. While it is a special and sacred space, it's also a physical space that should be accessible to all. And until we hold the sacredness and the physical in proper perspective, the message to people with various disabilities is that they are not worthy of these sacred spaces. I encourage you to ask yourself how you would feel if you were on the receiving end of that message! 

Kati Glover, West Ohio Conference

What does The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2016 say?

Ableist Attitudes About Pulpit Accessibility

The average parishioner may not realize that they have a theology of access, but it shows up in attitudes that are expressed and in the expectations that congregations have of pastors. Rev. Justin Hancock suggests that you can read the theology of a congregation, simply by looking at the architectural decisions that have been made over the years. Most chancels express the belief that pastors must be able to navigate steps without railings and to stand at a pulpit built for average-height male adults in order to preach and lead the service. Some traditional pulpits can only be reached by way of a second set of steps. These traditions stem partly from the historic need for the preacher to be able to project loudly enough to be heard in an era when there was no amplification available. There has always been a power differential expressed when the pastor exhorts the congregation from high above them.

Those assumptions may have made sense to earlier generations where preachers spoke from elevated pulpits, but have no place when increasing numbers of qualified disabled people are called by God to attend seminary to prepare for service as United Methodist pastors. For several years many of us worshiped on-line and watched sermons that were preached outdoors or from the pastor’s study or living room. Surely the time has come to put away old expectations and embrace the concept that the message, not the posture, is what makes it a sermon.

Another set of ableist attitudes pertain to perceived aesthetics. Many churches refuse to install handrails by chancel stairs because they will “destroy the aesthetics” of what some call the most sacred part of the church. Similar arguments are used against adding a platform lift to enable wheelchair users access to the chancel. If doing the right thing so that everyone is included isn’t a motivator, might an optional frame of reference be to consider that back injuries can be avoided when there is a safe way to move heavy items to and from the chancel, and that railings prevent falls and insurance claims? 

You may have heard that churches are exempt from the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which is true. Many denominations and representatives of faith-based universities signed a request for an exemption. They fought against the law which they saw as an intrusion into the separation of church and state that was also cost-prohibitive. However, the United Methodist church did not sign the document, and in fact the Methodist Building in Washington, D.C. hosted many meetings in which the versions of the law were developed through consensus. For more information, refer to this 2020 article: Church and Society Commemorates 30 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Ideas to Improve Chancel and Pulpit Accessibility

Retired Bishop Deb Kiesey from the North Central Jurisdiction has the rare distinction of being a bishop with a disability, which gave her the opportunity to visit many churches and observe their accessibility or lack thereof. She shared these thoughts:

“Over the years there have been very few pulpits that I have found to be truly accessible. Nearly all have stairs, not only to the pulpit but also to the chancel in general. First UMC in Iowa City put up a handrail to help get up the stairs to the lectern. They also have handrails alongside the steps to the chancel. However, anyone in a wheelchair, or someone like myself who uses crutches, still finds it difficult or impossible to use the lectern or gain access to the chancel even with handrails.

If there are stairs to the chancel, please be sure the edge of those steps are well marked. I recently nearly fell during an evening service because I couldn’t see the edge of the step. Ramps to the chancel are the best solution. When none of these options are available, simply place a microphone on a stand in front of the bottom step to the chancel to avoid the stairs altogether. 

Another thing I find helpful is to preach from pulpits that are solid enough to lean on. Music stands or moveable pulpits are very worrisome and add to a person’s unsteadiness. And remember that handheld microphones only work if you aren’t hanging onto the pulpit for support.

One final suggestion is to literally get into a wheelchair and try to get around your sanctuary, chancel, and pulpit. Try reading scripture, taking communion, preaching, singing in the choir, making an announcement - basically anything you and your congregation do during worship - and see where the difficulties are. I believe that one experience will increase awareness.”

Many of the same features recommended by Bishop Kiesey are just as important for pastors who have low vision. Rev. Brian Burch of the Holston conference finds that sturdy pulpits and marked step edges are crucial for safety. He shared that “I have people in the pews who are not quite placing bets because Methodists don't gamble, but they have wondered many times whether the preacher is going to fall off the edge. The worst story happened when I was doing a funeral at a funeral home that had two steps up to the platform, and I missed the step. Altar flowers do not make a good handhold! The curtain was a fake curtain, so it didn't help. I caught myself just in time before I made a huge mess of things! 

What would be ideal would be a metal transition strip on the edge of each step that could catch my eye but was also a little bit raised so I could detect it with my cane.” The above photo from The Dalles UMC, Oregon-Idaho conference, shows metal transition strips in place.

Some congregations expect the pastor to hold a heavy Bible while they preach to demonstrate that they are preaching from the Word of God. By contrast, several members in one of the churches where Brian served built a custom pulpit with space for Pastor Brian’s video magnifier, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) that allowed him to enlarge copy so he could read scripture, his notes, the hymnal, and the sermon manuscript during worship. The pulpit was on casters (which needed to be lockable) so it could be moved and it had space for the power cord. It was well-built and looked like a pulpit.

What does The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2016 say?

Options for Creating an Accessible Chancel and Pulpit

How can churches overcome the barriers caused by steps to multiple chancel levels that limit access to the pulpit, lectern, and choir? Some solutions are costlier than others, and many factors must be considered before proceeding with construction. The least expensive temporary solution is to move the lectern, communion, and choir down to the sanctuary level and not use the chancel. This may require moving a few front-row pews, which are typically empty! The downside of this approach is that visibility may be limited, which can partially be overcome if the service is typically projected.



The height of the chancel and the slope of the sanctuary floor play a role in decision-making. Ellensburg UMC (Pacific Northwest conference) decided to remove the elevated chancel and bring everything down to floor level. Their sloping sanctuary made this possible because the chancel remained visible from all rows. A bonus has been the ability to host choirs of any size, and even a band with space in the front for a dance floor. 

Chancels that are only one or two steps above floor height are the easiest to ramp. Ramps can be no steeper than 1:12, which means that for every inch of height the ramp needs to be a foot long. Building a 7- or 14-foot ramp for a 7” or 14” rise is possible within many sanctuary configurations. Remember in your planning that ramps require handrails on both sides for safety and building code compliance.



Some congregations have lowered their chancel in combination with building an access ramp. If the choir loft is higher than the main chancel level, at least one row of seats will need to be on that lowest level. Ramps are usually at one side of the sanctuary, though they can be in the front as seen in this photo of Mount Tabor UMC (Winston-Salem, Western North Carolina conference). 

When rebuilding and ramps are not feasible, typically in traditional downtown historic churches with high chancels, an incline or vertical platform lift is the most common option. A vertical platform lift rises in place in an open shaft, while an incline lift is mounted at the side of stairs and moves at an angle. Usually the incline lift folds up against the wall when not in use so that the stairs can be accessed. This can be seen on the left side of the chancel in the photo of the lift in First UMC of Lincoln, Illinois Great Rivers conference.

These lifts are relatively affordable and available through a number of US companies. The drawback is that only one person at a time can use a lift, and the operation is a bit noisy and disruptive. In other words, people might avoid using the lift so as not to be the center of attention! Other concerns include ensuring that lifts are regularly maintained, that they do not require a key that no one has access to, and that several people understand their operation.

Church Street UMC (Knoxville TN, Holston conference) selected a different form of lift, which they are likely the only UMC congregation in the US to own. Built by a Danish firm, the FlexStep is a platform lift that transitions into a short staircase when not in use as a lift. The church chancel is 40” high, so ramping was not an option. There was no logical space at the front for a typical lift. They converted a small side stairway entrance to the chancel, which they had to widen. It takes only 45 seconds for the stairs to transition to a lift and move a person up or down. The lift is regularly used for communion, but also provided full access when Rev. Dr. Hank Jenkins, a wheelchair user, preached for a recent Disability Awareness Sunday. See the three photos below, taken at various stages of lift operation.

The church ran into an unexpected obstacle when a state elevator inspector reported that the lift did not meet Tennessee's unique elevator/platform lift codes. After developing extra safety policies like requiring that anyone operating the simple lift be trained and after scheduling an appeal meeting with the state elevator board, they were finally granted a waiver and could resume using the lift. Steve Richardson, chair of the conference disability ministries committee and member of the church's team that instigated the project, would be happy to discuss what the congregation has learned from the process with anyone interested.

Mount Tabor and Church Street are both recipients of the Disability-friendly and Accessible Church Gold Badge based on their efforts to make their buildings and ministries as inclusive and barrier-free as possible. Both congregations had committees that shepherded an intentional process over a period of several years. They encourage other congregations to similarly use the Annual Accessibility Audit for United Methodist Churches as a tool for change. Note that the links for both churches lead to Accessibility pages which list all of the accessibility features and accommodations available in each church.

In stair mode, looking up towards the chancel

In lift mode at sanctuary level

Chancel level, in lift mode

One final measure for churches striving for pulpit accessibility is the installation of a height-adjustable ADA-compliant lectern. These are not only helpful for wheelchair users, but also for children and short or tall adults for whom the standard lectern desk is not at a functional height. The lectern needs leg space underneath the desk for the pastor who needs to sit to preach, whether in a wheelchair or not. Once only available through custom cabinetmakers, these are now available commercially. 

Note the pull-out desk for wheelchair use.

Photos courtesy of Marshall Furniture, a company that manufactures a range of ADA height-adjustable lecterns

What does The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2016 say?

Pulpit Access for a Preacher who is Hard of Hearing

Preaching is not difficult for a pastor who is hard of hearing, since giving a sermon is usually one-way communication. Tasks that are more difficult are those requiring interaction with the congregation. The Rev. Dr. Nancy Hale (Susquehanna conference) finds the sharing of Joys and Concerns works well when she walks around the congregation with a hand-held microphone which she holds while the parishioner speaks.

An even better system was practiced in a congregation where members were accustomed to writing joys and prayer requests in a binder as they entered the sanctuary each week.  A designated member would bring the binder forward during the prayer time and read the names of those needing prayer. The reader would be careful not to share details or medical information, especially important when services are being livestreamed or recorded.

Congregational singing can be another obstacle. Keeping her place when singing hymns is easier when the accompanist plays the melody clearly, without a lot of musical flourishes, and takes a slight pause between stanzas. 

Pulpit access assumes that the church has a good sound system, and that anyone speaking always uses a microphone. Using captioned videos benefits the hard of hearing preacher as well as well as anyone with an auditory processing disability or for whom English is not their first language.

Lighting Can Prevent Pulpit Access

You likely would not identify lighting as a barrier to pulpit and chancel access, but for many people flickering lights, including candles, flashing or twinkling Christmas lights, strobe lights, and fluorescent lights are troublesome. While sanctuaries do not typically have fluorescent lighting, many worship services are held in other spaces that do use them.

When sharing about my own sensitivity to fluorescents, I found that about one in seven or eight people (about 15% of the population) have symptoms that are triggered or worsened by these lights. I have heard many stories about anxiety, headache, fatigue, problems with paying attention, dizziness, and even “seeing spots.” I discovered that the Job Accommodation Network lists about 15 conditions for which they recommend changing the light as a reasonable accommodation. Fluorescent lighting has been documented as problematic for many people with disabilities, including ADD/ADHD, autism, dyslexia, learning disabilities, migraine, heart disease, vertigo, arthritis, lupus, HIV/AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, Lyme disease, scleroderma, and cancer. 

In the past, flickering lights caused me to have seizures. Now that my seizures are under control such lights continue to give me difficulty with thinking – it’s like having static in my head that stirs my thoughts. There is a neurological explanation involving the optic nerve that fires whenever a light turns on. As I learned more about this issue, I realized that this type of lighting is an architectural barrier. I now travel with my own portable photographic quality work lamps (illustrated in the photo above) in order to be sure I can be accommodated. From my perspective, fluorescent lights are like stairs to the wheels of the mind.

Difficulties with fluorescent lights are encountered due to the often-imperceptible flickering effect as the device strobes in time with the cycle electric current or from the combination of the electric cycle and the production of ultraviolet light. Older fixtures are the worst. These lights are also not full spectrum.

Potential solutions are maximizing the use of natural light, using incandescent light (which is becoming illegal to sell) or high quality "flicker free" LED lights. LED’s are a constant light source with low flicker rates that emit minimal amounts of UV light They also provide a more full-spectrum light, which is reported to benefit people with seasonal affective disorder. While LED lights are still a significant financial investment, prices are coming down and utility companies may offer rebates for non-profits including churches. Light filters are a partial solution, but do not solve the hum that is distracting or painful for some autistic people. My personal preference is to use multi-arm stand lamps in the corners of the room, with the addition of a ring lamp if needed for filming. All incremental changes will continually increase the area in which affected individuals, including clergy, can achieve improvements in functioning.

Rev. Kay Love, Texas Conference

Chancel Access for An Autistic Pastor

Flexibility is key to the ever-fluctuating amount of sensory overload that comes with preaching to a live and livestreamed congregation.

1.   Flexibility with microphones. Options are the handheld mic, the one mounted on the lectern, or the headset. Don't assume that whatever worked the last time will work for me this time. Choices make it more accessible. Some days wearing the head-piece mic feels too confining and distracting for me. Other days having my hands free is best, no matter what the other mic options are.

2.   Room to roam. Some Sundays standing still at the lectern is best. On other days, I need the ability to sit, and/or walk around while preaching. A chair that spins is very helpful for me to use when preaching and/or leading worship.

3.   Organization ahead of time. Limit or eliminate those last-minute before the service asides and verbal additions to my Sunday morning. Please put it in writing for me if you have to give me your thoughts or needs right before our Sunday worship starts!

4.    Low sensory load. Loud noises and loud/strong smells next to me are not welcome. So, no flowers with strong scents at the pulpit, please. No loud music or other loud sounds near me or the pulpit.

5.   Support. Autism is different for each of us. Some people with autism need help with visual aids or memory. Some of us are very creative with decorating the altar, but others don't see the need to do it and will appreciate members with that gift who assume responsibility. Staying curious and having compassion for your pastors, rather than getting critical, goes a long way to having an attitude that makes the pulpit accessible.

Rev. Melinda Baber, Mountain Sky Conference

Resources for Chancel and Pulpit Access

The Job Accommodation Network offers extensive resources for accommodating all types of disabilities and performing every job one can think of! Examples that pertain to chancel access and some of the disabilities discussed in this issue include the following:

• Hearing Loss
• Wheelchair Accessible Lecterns
• Photosensitivity
• Non-Fluorescent Lighting
• Autism Spectrum

Thanks for reading the whole newsletter! We would love it if you would forward this issue to others who don't receive the newsletter but need to know this information.

Please share your stories of chancel and pulpit access with us so we can share them with others. We are all learning together!

Peace,

Disability Ministries Committee of The United Methodist Church