Congregations to be asked for new information about accessibility.

Reporting forms for Church of the Brethren congregations will have a newly revised page for information about accessibility, thanks to staff of the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC). The forms are copied to the district offices and also used to provide statistical and other information for the annual “Church of the Brethren Yearbook” published by Brethren Press.

Executive director Kathy Reid of ABC is helping revise the statistics section of the Yearbook to include more information about accessible facilities and programs of congregations and districts. Some of the resources used by the Mennonite Church USA, including icons and adaptations of descriptions, will aid in the process. These symbols will be used beginning with the 2008 Yearbook to help people identify the accessibility of congregations in various categories.

Congregations will be asked to fill out reporting related to accessibility each year. In the past, they could simply mark "same as last year." The aim of this change is to regularly encourage churches to work at issues of accessibility for those with disabilities.

To help congregations with this self-evaluation, the Disabilities Ministries of ABC has sampled several self-assessment tools and created an online "Congregational Accessibility Survey," with a check list and explanations of what it means to indicate that a congregation is accessible. The website also displays the icons that the Yearbook will use. Go to www.brethren-caregivers.org.

Source: 9/26/2007 Newsline