This Grant Enables Barrier-Free Access for “Friend to Friend” Community Church

We’re in a terrible and old state at the front door of the chapel,” said Joan van Santt, pastor of the Church of Friends and Friends in Richwood, New Jersey. “To push the door open and keep it open will take a lot of effort. These doors are heavy and daunting.”

This is particularly a problem for a church dedicated to the development of the handicapped, because some of them need wheelchairs. But in February this year, everything changed as a result of some measures, thanks to a grant from the RCA.

This grant is a grant to a vibrant church that needs to improve its facilities, whereby all doors and entrances of the “friends to friends” community church have been upgraded and the barrier-free movement has been enhanced. Although the building’s structure does not allow for the installation of a completely non-manual, motion-sensitive sliding door, the door has now been turned into self-opening, and it can only be opened by pressing the button.

“Not everyone in our church can push the button, but most of us will come with a helper,” Van Sant says, “I have to make some compromises, but now all of our doors are easier to enter and out. Our whole atmosphere is more open and friendly, and it is clear that this is a place without obstacles. We are very excited about this.”

“This is a church specially designed for them,” by Van Sant, who lists several measures that the church has given priority to the barrier-free design: there is no platform or a high platform in front of the Sunday space, some benches have been removed and opened up, screens and barrier-free technology have been set up, and evening Sundays have been set to accommodate the daily travel of the group home and its staff.

Van Sant said that this church, which was officially established in 2014, has a unique place, namely, it is the only RCA community that is composed mainly of development-impaired people. This community has existed for 29 years, and its roots date back to an interdenominational Sunday programme designed for children with special needs.

“Our inclusion is very wide—covering all kinds of abilities. Whatever power you have, you can almost come here to worship. We’ll give anyone who wants to participate what they need,” she said, “It’s very interactive and different. Whatever we do, we can feel the greatest joy.”

Although the enthusiasm for barrier-free access has not yet faded, more projects are already under way, such as the addition of ramps behind buildings or the removal of all benches and the replacement of ordinary chairs to allow people to move their chairs freely and choose their seats.

“We are just trying to move forward in”

Source: Read the original report (translated from Mandarin Chinese)