How to have an accessible Christmas

AS YOU PLAN YOUR CHRISTMAS services, don’t forget to think about accessibility. Here are some hints and tips to help you.

1. Talk to your congregation as you will have disabled and neurodivergent people with you already. Listen to their access challenges and suggestions for change. Think about access when you start your planning. Anticipate disabled and neurodivergent people attending so people feel welcome and expected when they turn up.
2. Create an accessibility area on your website. Include pictures and a description of the approaches, entrance and the inside of your building. Include pictures and descriptions of any accessible facilities – step free access, hearing loop, toilets etc. See the ‘Creating an accessibility area on your website’ guidance downloadable at: https://www.london.anglican.org/support/ministry-and-vocations/disability-ministry/downloadable-resources/
3. Check your external lighting and replace any faulty bulbs. Make sure the approaches and entrances to your church are well lit and safe. Sweep steps, ramps and paths and clear away leaves and other hazards. Look for any trip hazards on paths and approach routes.
4. Check out your accessible toilet if you have one. Clear out anything that is stored in the space. Make sure bins are not obstructing access to the toilet or sink. Top up soap and towels. Make sure any baby changing facilities are not causing an obstruction. Test the emergency alarm and have a procedure for what to do if it is activated – i.e. know how the door can be opened and who will do it. Make sure the door catch is working and the door can be safely locked and unlocked from inside.
5. Check out your conventional toilets as well as these will be used by ambulant disabled people. Make sure the lighting is adequate and that unnecessary clutter is removed. Check door catches and locks are easy to operate for those with motor impairments.
6. Provide some useful things to aid concentration and participation. Fidget toys, dark glasses, over the counter reading glasses, noise cancelling headphones, children and adult colouring. Have a table of things near the entrance at the back of the church with signage inviting people to make use of these.
7. Make sure your Christmas services are representative of your congregation and local community. Include disabled people as leaders, readers, musicians, actors and more. Enable people to use their gifts and contribute in their own way.
8. Not everyone is comfortable or able to read with candlelight. Have some wind-up torches available for those who need more light to take part in candlelight services. Make sure these are offered to people as they arrive.
9. If you have lit Christmas trees and decorations in the Church, make sure they are not in sight lines for the congregation. They can be dazzling and disorientating. Don’t have any flashing lights.
10. In candlelight services, make sure the faces of leaders and readers are still lit and visible to enable lipreading. Leaders and preachers should keep still to make lipreading easier as well. Do not preach from a pulpit as this makes lip-reading impossible. Make sure all leaders and readers use a microphone. If radio mics are used an over-ear mic is much better than a clip on, providing better quality and consistency of sound for PA and hearing loop.
11. Test your hearing loop, either by asking a hearing aid user to test it or by buying a loop tester such as the ‘Contacta IL-RX20 Loop Listener’ from www.contacta.co.uk. This will cost about £70. Include a note on your screen and/or service sheet about the hearing loop being available and how to access it.
12. Include access information on your invitations and on your website – step free, accessible toilet, hearing loop etc, if you have these. Be honest about shortcomings as well. Don’t hide this in small print though. Make it easy to see and read.
13. Make inclusive announcements in your services. Don’t give universal instructions like ‘please stand’ but rather something like: ‘You are welcome to stand or to remain seated if this is more comfortable for you.’
14. Make an announcement or have a slide displayed at the start of the service or include a couple of lines on your service sheet, saying something like: We want everyone to participate in our worship as is best for you. Please feel free to sit or stand or move about at any point in the service.
15. Include descriptions of what will happen in services on your website and on your invitations: The church will be lit by candlelight. There will be several readings from the Bible. The choir will sing several carols. There will be carols for all to join in. We will serve coffee and mince pies after the service. The service will last for approximately 90 minutes.
16. Publish the liturgy and order of service on your website at least 48 hours before the service so people can familiarise themselves with what will happen and create their own accessible material.
17. Provide large print copies of service sheets. A minimum of 18 font on cream or light pastel coloured paper. Do not use white paper.
18. Make all your service sheets Dyslexia friendly formats. Use a sans serif font, such as Verdana, 12 point, 1.25 or 1.5 line spacing.
19. Include British Sign Language interpretation in one of your services or make sure one or two services in your deanery are BSL interpreted. 87,000 people in the UK are BSL communicators so BSL communicators are in your parish. You can find interpreters at:
    Signs of God: www.signsofgod.org.uk
    The National Register of Communication Professionals with Deaf and Deafblind people: www.nrcpd.org.uk
    The Association of Sign Language Interpreters: www.asli.org.uk
    
    Services will need two interpreters in order to provide interpretation throughout.
20. Many children and adults with additional needs use Makaton as a means of communication. You could include a Makaton signed carol in some of your services. Visit ‘BeckyMakatonTutor on YouTube to find ready made videos you could use: https://beckymakatontutor.co.uk/
    However, do not refer to Makaton signs as ‘actions!’ They are a language with meaning, not just fun.
21. If you put out extra chairs and change the layout of the Church for Christmas services, make sure the aisles and access routes are wide enough for wheelchairs, pushchairs and people with walking aids.
    Make sure your new configuration does not force people into spaces where the floor is uneven or there are steps and level changes.
    Whatever layout you use, create some wheelchair spaces rather than rushing to remove chairs when a wheelchair user arrives. Be flexible and make it possible for wheelchair users to sit with family and friends.
22. Have an evacuation plan that includes plans for evacuating disabled people safely. If your service is candlelit, make sure you have all the correct safety resources in place – buckets of water and buckets of sand, etc.
23. Be aware that people who have sight loss may be very disoriented by candlelight. The light can be dazzling and the contrast between light and shadow can make it difficult to judge distance and depth, making navigation in a space difficult. Keep the lights on until the start of the service and have some stewards on duty throughout who are ready to give assistance to anyone who needs it.
24. If members of the congregation hold candles, make sure you give sufficient safety information and encourage people to be aware and responsible. If a member of the congregation sits through the service, they do not want wax dripped on them by people standing around them holding candles.
25. Create a quiet space for those who may need to dip out of the service for a while. This should not be the same as your creche area as these spaces are seldom quiet.
    Provide some activities such as adult colouring.
    Include information about this area on service sheets and your website.
26. Live stream at least one of your services. If you’ve stopped live streaming since the pandemic, dust off the equipment and skills to do this. Include information about live streams in your invitations and publicity.