Does the
recent case of the disabled wheelchair user[i]
who could not access the disabled space on a bus, because someone else had
their sleeping child in that space, affect churches?
The answer
is yes. Although we are not talking about vehicular access, we are most certainly
speaking about any Provision Criterion and Practice
(PCP) a church may have in place, not necessarily written, but by ‘custom and
practice’. The PCP is required by the Equality Act,[ii]
which as a statutory requirement all churches must follow.
As such does
a church make ample room for disabled people, particularly thinking about, in
this short essay, wheelchair users? Does your church inform wheelchair users
that they have to place themselves at the front of the church, or at the back?
Also, to clear up an issue that I have come across several times; are wheelchair
informed that they cannot sit in the isles because of health and safety (fire)
risk? Wheelchair users do not, at least in my experience, spontaneously
combust. But of course, if you have a procession at the beginning, and at the
end of your service, this may well impact on spaces available if you have a narrow
isle.
Using a very
good practice developed in health and safety management it is far better to
design the problem out – no not barring disabled people from the church! But rather
creating spaces in the church where a wheelchair user can sit by family or
friends, which may entail moving some chairs out of the way – or heaven forbid –
shortening pew lengths![iii]
More generally,
consider the provision of disabled access toilets ‘in’ the church. Some
disabled people need to use toilets more than others, this may be a barrier to
some people using your church. The provision of ramp access to the church, and
also the altar rails if people are expected to ‘go up for communion’. Do be careful
with ramps, they should only be seen as temporary measures until a permanent
ramp is installed. The placing of a ramps then getting it up after the disabled
person has accessed the building means you are undertaking manual handling,
which is – I can assure you – risky, and not lawful if allowed to become a
permanent tool. It is worth noting that ramps are not just for wheelchair users
but also other people who have mobility issues. These all amount to PCP’s.
As a wheelchair user I have found myself waiting
at a church door until someone came along to put out the ramp for me. I was
troubled by the thought that, if there was ever a reason to evacuate I would,
along with all who have mobility issues, placed at a distinct disad
[i] Firstgroup Plc (Respondent) v Paulley (Appellant)
[2017] UKSC 4
[ii] Equality Act 2010 (Ch.15)
Cite this article as: Fr. Jeffrey
A.Leach.CBV, " Provision, Criterion
and Practice under the Equality Act" in Disabling Barriers to Church Blog, 23 January 2017, http://disablingbarrierstochurch.blogspot.co.uk/
