Prairie Star District

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Working on Disability Issues

Nancy Heege, District Executive

It all started with an email from Gail Bishop, former President of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Rochester, MN and currently the Chair of the Social Justice Council. “Can you tell me what other UU congregations are working on disability issues?” Gail asked. “I’d like to get in touch with them to compare notes.” Not able to think of any congregations that are working on this, I thought I’d better learn more, and we had an intriguing conversation.

Gail is Chair of the Disabilities Task Force at the Rochester church. This is one of several working groups formed by church members as a result of a Social Justice Empowerment workshop held a couple of years ago. With facilitators trained by the Unitarian Universalist Association, congregation members committed to a new way of doing social justice work, and since then, have totally re-energized and reorganized the social justice work being done by the congregation. There are now task forces that are working on several issues – environmental; poverty; GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Transgender) allies; racial justice; and people with disabilities. These groups use a multi-pronged approach – public witness, advocacy, hands-on service, education, and community organizing – to make a difference in the church, in Rochester, and the greater community.

The Disabilities Task Force is made up of eight people with special interest in the issue – parents who have children with disabilities, teachers, a social worker, a speech therapist, a mental health professional – all of whom are committed to making change in the world. So far, they’ve worked to educate congregation members and others about the resources that are available in the community, as well as partnering with organizations in the community. They want to improve the church’s inclusiveness and hospitality, to make it a welcoming place for people with various kinds of disabilities. By providing experiences and education for people of all ages, they feel that children, youth, and adults will be able to appreciate people living with disabilities and include them in congregational life in new ways.

The Disabilities Task Force has accomplished many things: posted a list of resources in the state, county, and community, on the church web site here: http://first.uurochmn.org/node/58 The group put together a large display about resources for people with disabilities and is working to bring resources and experiences to the children and youth of the church.

Each task force puts on one worship service each year. The first one planned by the Disabilities Task Force brought in a speaker from ARC of Minnesota for a conversation on “The State of Developmental Disabilities: What Are We Waiting For?” The second service involved a group looking to identify and memorialize residents who died and were buried anonymously at the Rochester State Hospital.

The current project is to focus on accessibility issues at the church: “What else needs to be done?” A number of years ago, the church underwent a big renovation project to make their building accessible for those with physical disabilities – put in an elevator, added a new entry way and designated parking places, large print Orders of Service, and devices to assist with hearing. That was wonderful, and yet the work isn’t finished. They are discussing adding books for the children’s library to raise children’s awareness; offering lessons in disability etiquette; perhaps something as simple as lower sinks and towel racks in the restrooms.

Back to Gail’s original question, “Are there other UU congregations working on disability issues, and can I get in touch with them?” If your congregation would like to be in touch with Gail, to share your experience, your ideas, or to learn more about the work in the Rochester church, please be in touch with the District Office (nheege@psduua.org), and we’ll put you in touch with each other.