How accessible is your church?

Have you considered how disability friendly your church is? Surrey-based DP Consulting (Disability Equality Services) Ltd work with different churches to assist them in achieving best practice standards of accessibility.

Church congregations across England have been fluctuating over the last 20 years. Regular church attendance has been in decline since 1998 (English Church Census, 2005), but we are now seeing a rise in the number of new churches, offering services that help tackle this issue.

Many churches today hire their halls for a variety of activities and enhancing accessibility has supported them in expanding their services. With over 10 million disabled people in the UK, it is very important that service providers recognise the advantages of creating an inclusive and accessible environment that will benefit everyone.

Adapting to our changing society and ageing population is necessary to provide welcoming and friendly environments that suit a diverse range of church users. A comprehensive access audit from DP Consulting will make certain that your church is welcoming and compliant, and will define the 'reasonable adjustments' you should make. So, does your church need an access audit?

Ask yourself the following… 

Do you provide wheelchair accessible facilities and services? This is not just about providing a ramp where access is via steps only. 

Do you provide communication aids? Communication enhancement is largely beneficial to those who have visual or hearing impairments.

If you have answered NO to the questions above, please don’t panic! An access audit will help facilitate the future inclusion of disabled people in your church or congregation.

For further information visit www.dpconsulting.org.uk