Update on 10/3/23
First Person Language resource
Update on 9/29/23
Inclusive Language Policies
https://files.constantcontact.com/0f363c70201/780263a9-971a-49e8-abd0-5f4b5691ca3d.pdf?rdr=true
Update on 9/13/23
This is the full audit and includes timelines and projects across the four areas of criteria for acceptability by the A2A Team at the national UCC office. Click here to access.
Update on 9/8/23
Please click the link below for resources for Sunday’s Easel Talk Q and A Session after worship on 9/10.
https://files.constantcontact.com/0f363c70201/6f1144b8-57f2-4701-8b8a-3e3de43f54be.pdf?rdr=true
Update on July 28, 2023
| A variety of building improvement grants exist for private, non-profit institutions to further access to all. Please check out the following links. Community Preservation Act info for CT: https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/Commissioner/Commissioner/Community-Investment-Act—Public-Act-05-228 Community Preservation Act info for MA: https://www.communitypreservation.org/about Community Preservation Act info for RI: https://preserva? tion.ri.gov/preserve-protect/financial-assistance/grants/state-preservation-grants |
Update on July 21, 2023
There is an article on Facebook on the UCC’s Disabilities Ministries. We suggest this article for increasing your understanding that WE are doing SOMETHING NEW. Please reflect on how disability ministries intersectionality with other ministries and programs is essential to our local and wider church success in truly living into Justice and Equity in Welcoming All. Share your reflections by commenting under the article.
Update on May 29, 2023:
The A2A project continues to move forward as we work together to complete the application to become an “Accessible to All” designated local church which intentionally welcomes people across all disabilities and provides opportunities for access and accommodations to buildings, grounds, worship, and all programs including community outreach activities and local partnerships.
A2A work group sessions will continue through the month of June, meeting in Room 201 and via zoom on Mondays from 1:00 – 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 4:30 – 6:30 PM (no meeting on June 8th).
It is not too late to get involved with this initiative, to ask questions or to offer suggestions; every voice matters and every concern can be addressed.
A2A Update: March 17, 2023
Progress continues for the Accessibility Workgroup Have you provided your input? Here is what’s happening as we move forward to present a draft of a motion and supportive documents to the April Governing Board meeting on Tuesday April 11. We are requesting a special meeting of the congregation to be scheduled in mid to late May to authorize the Workgroup to submit an application and plan for how SCC will show a commitment to the goals of the Accessibility to All extended way of welcoming all not just in physical ways but by attending to the barriers that attitudes, communication, our policies and the way we implement those policies may disadvantage some from seeking and remaining as participants in our church community and with our wider community partners.
- Wed March 22 – small group walk thru in the Meeting House to address audio issues that have been
brought to our attention. Contact Desiree Duda (put email in click for her email) who will host a
guest with expertise to help us. - Thursday, March 23 – Zoom and onsite in Library Ed Building 1st Floor 4:30 to 6 PM when
Process the audio input and begin to determine what we can do now, what we can
recommend we do in Year 1 July 2023 through June 2024, and in Year 2, July 2024
through June 25 as well.
Finalize the recommendations for physical setting issues which we discussed already
and presented at the 2nd hour forum with you all.
-Monday, March 27, 1 -3 PM Zoom and onsite in RM 201 where we will meet on both Mondays and
Thursday from now through the Congregational Meeting in order to work all four sections of our Audit and the Check List for our application. Please contact any one of the members of the
Workgroup with your input or visit Rm 201 whenever it is empty, add a sticky note, if an issue you
want added is not being addressed in what is on the wall yet in that section. We will also have a few
people around on Sunday mornings and other times we gather to respond to questions and LISTEN
to your input.
-Starting Sunday, March 26h be sure to check out a new photo trifold and browse pictures of our
walkthrough over these past 5 months. Add any notes to express your experiences or observations.
-Thursday March 30 from 4:30 to 6 and on Zoom and in Rm 201 we have invited members of the
Tech Team to join us. Thank you Tech team for being open to working with us on March 30. Our
emphasis in this meeting will be on the new global and universal internet accessibility standards as
they relate to our web site and our digital and written, audio and video communications. - April 3, in Rm 201 and on Zoom from 1-3 pm we will continue to work with our storyboard with the
goal of having materials ready for pre-distribution before the Tuesday, April 11 Governing Board
Meeting. - NO meeting on April 6 due to Maundy Thursday Service But there will be Soup for our Accessibility
Informed Souls to give choir members and other participants and servers a bit to eat before the
service in the lounge.
The scope of our work is doable with YOUR assistance. Keep feeding us with your ideas,
experiences and feedback. You are good cheerleaders for us in our work.
The forum in February was very helpful to us. Thank you for attending. We are hoping to schedule
another forum near the end of April to share the process of consideration by the Governing Board and
to allow a chance for questions related to the vote we hope to take in mid to late May.
A2A update 1/6/23
During Fellowship time on Sunday Jan 8, Pam and other members of the A2A workgroup will gather with the Wheelchair Policy and Procedure revised draft available along with a wheelchair in the fireplace alcove area and parking lot coat room space to encourage those interested in becoming trained in wheelchair safety – a requirement for our A2A application.
Come get trained – takes about 10 minutes but will depend on your comfort with the basic tasks our chairs are typically used for. In 2003 we had 7 names on the list, right now we need to replace at least 6 of the names with new folks given deaths, moves out of state, and preferences of those who feel they no longer should be on the list. Especially if you are on the usher servers list or the active Deacons list, consider joining us. We’ll have some fun and get this required training started. 10 minutes at most…. A list of trained individuals is required for our A2A Facility and Program Accessibility Audit required for submission for consideration for the UCC Disability Ministry Team of awarding SCC A2A status as we continue to grow into welcoming all to all aspects of our life as a UCC Church. Another training session is planned for before and after Worship on February 22nd.
THANK YOU! A2A will meet on all Mondays from 1-3 except Martin Luther King Day in January, and on Thursday from now through February 1st. Watch for updates each week.
Update 10/9/22
On Sunday, October 9, 2022, we celebrated our accomplishments toward “Access for All” in the past, and announced a goal for the present with a future of “doing something new” in the next decade at SCC. Check out the display in the lounge whether you lived through our efforts from 2005 through 2009 with our Campaign for Welcoming All focused on major physical changes in our buildings and grounds or began your faith journey with us more recently.
We are broadening our concepts of “Welcoming All” following the lead of the Justice and Equity initiatives of our wider national United Church of Christ Conference (UCC.org) and the Southern New England Conference (SNEUCC.org) and the SNE UCC Disability Ministries Team. Pam Roberts, currently the SNE DM Team facilitator, will lead our church ACCESS 2023 Initiative process to initiate and carry out a “Building and Program Accessibility Audit” as designed by the UCC DM Board by the end of February, 2023 with the goal of applying for consideration as an A2A recognized church by May of 2023. The Library Team has set up a display or related books for this access focus also as Just Peace Church initiative, and the team has begun to meet.
This ongoing initiative between now and June 2023 will set in place plans to keep growing in “Welcoming All” with possible improvements in how we welcome, engage, celebrate, and empower ALL to experience a sense of belonging in ways that lift up God’s unconditional gifts of grace, talents and unique abilities. Focus will include how we use accessibility best practices in our media, communications, and liturgy.
If you have any questions or comments, our contact person is Pamela Roberts, Email: drpampt@gmail.com or 860-428-2406 for text or calls.
All workgroup drop in times in person and on zoom will consistently be weekly:
- Mondays 1 to 3 PM (in Rm 201 Ed building 2nd floor)
- Thursdays 4:30 to 6 PM (in Library Ed building 1st floor)
- NO Workgroup meetings November 23 through 28 or December 22 through January 2nd.
Zoom is also available for those who prefer it, using the following information:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86183577687?pwd=VTB4THJnNWY5ODZDYWt6aGZuMEdQUT09
Meeting ID: 861 8357 7687
Passcode: 489505
One tap mobile
+16469313860,,86183577687#,,,,*489505# US
+19292056099,,86183577687#,,,,*489505# US (New York)
Dial by your location
+1 646 931 3860 US
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 309 205 3325 US
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 564 217 2000 US
+1 669 444 9171 US
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 719 359 4580 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 386 347 5053 US
Meeting ID: 861 8357 7687
Passcode: 489505
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keH5Z25kac
Here are the links to some resources available at the UCCDM website:
Find the important documents online and/or in PDF’s for download including the Church Building and Program Accessibility Audit, the A2A
Checklist, and List of A2A Churches who have completed the A2A
Checklist.
https://uccdm.org/category/resource-room/printpublications/curriculum-and-study-resources/
Print copies are available at the lounge ACCESS 2023 display or request the PDF from Pam emailed directly to you. Sections of focus for tasks will be distributed to those involved.
Review the Sunday Service available to you at:
https://www.storrscongchurch.org/2021/05/28/worship-online/
Access the Service Bulletin by scrolling down at the link above
Access the Scriptures by scrolling down at the link above
Access the youtube service for Oct 9 2022 at the link above.
https://uccdm.org/programs/access-sunday/
Access the recommendations for ACCESS Sunday found at the link with examples and liturgical summary of the challenge to make our promise to Welcome All real and leading to not just accessible buildings but accessible and welcoming programming.
Additional resources will be added to support the ACCESS 2023 initiative on a regular basis.
https://www.w3.org/WAI/
https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/
Dec. 11, 2022:
A2A Workgroup meets one more time in 2022….
The active members of the A2A workgroup have decided to meet one last time in 2022 on December, 12 (Monday, 1 to 3 PM) ON ZOOM ONLY to
- summarize and report on our ongoing discussions.
- to set dates and plan topic discussions of the workgroup and wider church input for January through March)
- important documents as they become available and can be distributed.
Regularly scheduled opportunities for input January through March will resume starting no earlier than January 5th to accommodate time with family, our spiritual focus on the holiday season and the availability of participants.
Jan. 18, 2020
https://www.humancentereddesign.org/
An accessible video that is presented with audio descriptions for those not able to see and the good use of closed captioning and alternate image descriptions that support accessible web use but also tells a diverse story about how disabilities are emerging and need attention based on the population of folks being systematically excluded from assistance.