How does your church view, deal with, acomodate, welcome, disabled people or do they prefer they not come?

Question

This refers to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) mandated access - is that available?  It also refers to the attitudes shown and things said by people in leadership and attendees in general.   If words are welcoming do actions match words?   

Examples: If people are in wheelchairs or on walkers are there things said like if you love the Lord stand up?  Or don't just sit there get up and show God you care?   Can a wheelchair user get into the restroom?  The fellowship hall??   if someone is walking with a cane do people allow them to pass by or not?  Do they push them if they don't walk fast enough to suit them?  Are there comments like if you had faith you would be healed?  If there is welcoming please say what is done/said not just they are welcome.  I'm hoping this may help solve a serious problem or at least some of my reaction to the problem.  Thank you.

Dave P · Accepted Answer

I know both the presbyterian church and the episcopal church I used to attend did all they could to be accommodating. It was easiest in the presbyterian church because it was a newer building (which made wheelchair accessibility easier) and because communion was served in the pews rather than at the altar.

Both churches had a number of older parishioners so the lack of mobility was accepted as a matter of course and courtesy. Neither was very dogmatic when it came to the practice of worship so not standing or kneeling was not a problem.

Comments that you mention would have been unthinkable. I suspect that this may not always be the case in some of the newer fundamentalist churches and I find that abhorrent. Too often, there seems to be a tendency to administer to the well off rather than to those in need.

How does your church view, deal with, acomodate, welcome, disabled people or do they prefer they not come?

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