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As welcoming communities, we strive to eliminate all barriers, visible or invisible, that limit the full participation of individuals.

As welcoming communities of faith, we should strive to eliminate all barriers that may limit the full participation of individuals. These barriers may be visible or invisible and are not restricted to the physical environment.

Online Resources

Hearing

One aspect of a barrier-free environment is accommodating people with hearing impairment. The Canadian Hearing Society provides information on

Vision

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind offers a broad spectrum of online resources to assist in accommodating individuals with vision impairment.

Legislation

Provincial legislation to create a more accessible Canada focuses on identifying and reducing barriers that prevent a large number of people from being able to fully engage in all aspects of daily living. Some of the barriers are less obvious than others. This legislation is much needed, but it does come with implications for our ministries as they strive to ensure they are meeting the requirements as they come into effect.

The following lists current and upcoming provincial legislation:

Actions required of the church include but aren’t limited to the following:

  1. Establish policies, practices, and procedures.
  2. Establish a training program, and train staff and volunteers.
  3. Establish a feedback process.

Provincial Accessibility Standards

Complying with provincial legislation will require work. The following websites are specific to each province that has accessibility legislation:

For more information, contact

Duty of Care
dutyofcare@united-church.ca
416-231-7680
1-800-268-3781