Query from Joyce Beairsto, Chair of New Hampshire Conference Accessibility Committee

What are other Conference and Association Accessibility Committees doing?

I have been chairing this committee now since 1991. Shortly after the ADA was signed in 1990, there were a number of multi-state conferences sponsored by UCC to begin to look at the role of our churches in light of the ADA. I went to one of those conferences, and came back to NH recommending that NH should have a group to deal with these issues.

Over the years, our membership has fluctuated; however we have not lost sight of our goal. We began as a task force, and after we wrote our mission statement, we became a committee attached to one of the conference commissiions. The conference has been very supportive of our work. When our conference was building its new office building, they turned to our committee for advice re: accessibility.

Since the new A2A curriculum came out, our committee has been presenting it at our annual conference meeting as well as at a “Prepared to Serve” Conference. Although attendance is low (5-8) people at a time , the response has been favorable. I have NO clue as to how many Churches are actually using the curriculum.

Joyce Beairsto at joyharts@yahoo.com