Access for the disabled begins in the heart.

Most congregations try to be hospitable and welcoming, but the barriers that exclude adults and children with disabilities from full participation may not be easily understood or identified. While adding ramps, opening up pews, creating accessible parking spaces and rest rooms, and making other physical changes are all positive and necessary steps, it is far more difficult to remove barriers of attitudes and stereotypes. [t is this problem the National Organization on Disability (NOD), through its Accessible Congregations Campaign (ACC), seeks to address by changing the hearts and minds of members of religious communities.

The ACC hopes to gain the commitment of 2,000 congregations by the year 2000. It is asking churches, parishes, synagogues, temples, meeting houses, and seminaries across the country to participate.

In the ACC process, a congregational leader requests an information packet--free of charge--from the NOD. Then a task force or committee is formed by the congregation to survey buildings and programs. The task force asks how those with disabilities can become full and active participants in the congregation, how the disabled can be encouraged to use all their gifts and talents within the congregation, what needs to be done to educate the congregation about disability issues, and what physical, sensory, or mental barriers exist for disabled members or visitors.

The task force then recommends the congregation commit to the following principles: people with disabilities are valued as individuals, having been created in the image of God; the congregation is endeavoring to identify and remove barriers of architecture, communications, and attitudes that exclude people with disabilities from full and active participation; and people, with or without disabilities, are encouraged to practice their faith and use their gifts in worship, service, study, and leadership.

Interested congregations can contact coordinator Lorraine Thal at 910 W. 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, 202-293-5960; e-mail: [e-mail].