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Learn about the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 and how churches can ensure accessibility and support for disabled individuals through audits, accommodations, training, signage, and assistance.
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Disability Discrimination Act 1995: A disabled person is someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial, adverse and long term effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities.
To make sure they comply, churches should: • Undertake an accessibility audit to identify physical and attitude barriers to access for disabled people • Install appropriate equipment and make changes to accommodate different types of disability • Provide training for leaders, stewards etc relevant to the adjustments made to include disabled people • Display appropriate signage, using the international pictorial disability symbol • Make sure it is easy for disabled people to ask for help if they need it
People who are: • Wheelchair users or have limited mobility • Blind or partially sighted • Deaf or hard of hearing
People with: • Epilepsy • Learning disabilities • Mental Health Issues • Dementia • Speech Difficulty • Tourette’s Syndrome • Dyslexia • Autism Spectrum Disorders • Diabetes • Food Intolerances or Allergies • Eating Disorders, or those who Self Harm • Facial Difference or Other Disfigurement
Appropriate language • Don’t say: Say instead: • the disabled disabled people • Cripple, invalid, handicapped disabled, disabled person • mentally retarded, mentally handicapped person with a learning disability • confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair-bound wheelchair user • disabled toilet accessible toilet, wheelchair accessible toilet • suffering from… a victim of… person with…
Disability ‘etiquette’ • Make eye contact and talk directly to the person • Don’t be embarrassed about colloquialisms and expressions • When meeting a visually person, introduce yourself by name • Ask disabled people where they would like to sit • Consult disabled people about specific access issues when organising a meeting or event • If a disabled person accepts help, you need to do exactly what they ask of you • Assume nothing – always ask.
Results of a recent Mencap study • 82% of children with learning disabilities have experienced bullying • 79% of them are afraid to go out as a result • Disabled employees are 3 times as likely to experience physical violence at work as their non-disabled colleagues • There are an estimated 62,000 disability hate crimes in the UK every year • Disabled people pay on average £570 per month on extra costs related to their disability, resulting in high levels of unsecured debt among disabled adults