Accessibility and inclusion
Our tagline begins with the words “where all find a welcome”, and everything we do should reflect this. We cannot claim to be a place where all are welcome if we are not as accessible and inclusive as possible.
We prefer to frame things in terms of accessibility rather than disability, but this doesn’t mean we don’t take our obligations (both legal and moral) towards disabled people seriously. Making things accessible is not something we should be doing in response to a disability, but something we should be actively designing into everything we do.
Access and accessibility guides
We publish access and accessibility guides for both the church and the Community Centre, which are intended for members of the public.
Access and accessibility guide for the church
Access and accessibility guide for the Community Centre
Accessibility isn’t just physical
It’s tempting to think of accessibility in terms of just the physical world, for example making sure that people in wheelchairs can get in to the church, but accessibility is about far more. It also covers things like making sure the language we use is understandable, using typefaces which are readable, keeping sound and light levels comfortable for people, and more.
Better now is better than perfect later
If you can make something slightly more accessible or inclusive, do it. Don’t let a worry that something isn’t perfect stop you from making it better.
Equitable not equal
We aim to treat people equitably – adjusting to an individual’s circumstances so that outcomes are fair – rather than equally by providing the exact same thing to every person.