When I was a newly minted pastor's wife I was puzzled by what appeared to be an unexplainable correlation between long-time members' retirement from their jobs and their retirement from church involvement. Now that I am on the cusp of fitting into the "senior citizen" category, I have discovered at least one reason why retirees sometimes seem to diminish their ministry within the church: lack of accessibility to the sanctuary.

When senior citizens have difficulty participating in sanctuary worship services, the entire ministry of the church can suffer. Ministry comes out of worship, and when mobility and other health issues hinder attendance at worship services, the invaluable spiritual gifts, experience, and wisdom of seniors in the church's ministry can be lost as a result. As the body ages, pain, mobility, and health issues sometimes make just getting up in the morning a chore. If seniors who are struggling to function on a day-to-day basis run into access issues in the church, they can become easily discouraged in their attendance and involvement.

Private clubs and religious organizations are exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act's (ADA's) Title III requirements for public accommodations. ADA laws apply to churches when they have fifteen or more employees and one of them has a disability. The laws also apply if a portion of the facility is rented to outside groups. But a church sensitive to the needs of its members will provide accommodations for seniors and the disabled regardless of ADA law exemptions.

Seniors' greatest frustrations with sanctuaries, arenas, and other facilities that accommodate large crowds are related to a lack of accessible seating, the need to negotiate stairs, and just walking from the entrance to the seating, says Joan S. Hansen, director of the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Orange County, Florida. Even if a multi-level facility has an elevator available, "Just getting to the elevator is quite a walk for a frail individual," Hansen says.

By 2011, when Baby Boomers begin retiring, 25 percent of an average church's members will be senior citizens. Regardless of the age of the facility, some simple changes can have a profound impact on accessibility. An accessibility audit of the sanctuary (included on page 34) is a valuable tool for helping churches plan for, and adapt to, the changing demographics of their community.

Going Beyond Expectations
The Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Clermont, Florida, implemented some unique solutions for its congregation, 75 percent of whom are senior citizens. The church is located in Lake County, near Orlando. Twenty-seven percent of the county's 300,000 citizens are seniors. The city of Clermont has an estimated population of 12,972 and more than five "55-plus" senior communities.

The population increases in winter with the arrival of the snowbirds, seniors who live up north during the summer, then live in Florida during the winter. During the summer, attendance at the church averages 130 people, but with the arrival of the snowbirds, attendance increases to about 230.

Pastor Jon Ostenburg believes that an architect's guidance when they built the new facility six years ago was the key to effectively addressing accessibility issues. "Even though we were not required by law to do so, he encouraged us to build the facility to meet federal ADA requirements," Ostenburg says. "And it really made a big difference in the results."

The 11,200-square-foot church includes a 5,400-square-foot multipurpose worship center that easily seats 300 people. The one-story building cost $107 per square foot. There are no slopes, stairs, or ramps, except for ramps installed at parking spaces for people with disabilities. Even the worship center platform is accessible for people with disabilities. Total height of the portable platform is ten inches. The choir area includes risers of only eight inches with a section on the same level as the sanctuary seating to allow for wheelchair access.

The simple addition of large round tables at the rear of the worship seating area provides a unique solution to many concerns. The tables each seat eight people and are high enough for wheelchairs. People with breathing or walking problems don't have to walk far from the entrance to sit at the tables and participate in the worship services.

Individuals who cannot sit for very long are able to get up from the tables and move about in the back without disturbing other worshipers. Communion is brought to those who might struggle walking to the front of the sanctuary to participate. If necessary, the altar can be moved off of the platform and on to the main floor to increase accessibility.

"An unexpected benefit of the tables," Ostenburg says, "is that they also have become a place where families with young children can sit and participate without distracting worshipers in the main seating."

No pews are in the sanctuary. Ergonomically correct chairs are placed in rows and can be easily moved to accommodate wheelchairs or walkers. The chairs are wider than standard ones and provide lumbar support.

Three unisex bathrooms close to the sanctuary are ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible. Worship services include a video projection of the announcements and words to the hymns in large print, making it easier for seniors with eyesight problems to see the words.

Ushers are trained to watch for seniors with mobility issues and to provide assistance when needed. Double-doors with bar openings make access to the facility easy. Every six months all doors are lubricated and maintained to assure easy access.

Besides assuring accessibility for seniors, all functions of the church incorporate seniors in the planning and execution of programs and services. Ostenburg says an accessibility audit shows only two issues still need to be addressed to improve senior accessibility: hand-held listening devices for people with hearing impairments, and better signs for bathrooms for people with disabilities.

A church that wants to demonstrate its accessibility for seniors and others might want to highlight its accessibility on the front marquee. For people with mobility problems, such a sign indicates a welcoming environment.

Removing Barriers
The Celebration of Praise Church of God in Clermont, Florida, is also a newer facility, but it has a membership of 1,000. Completed in 2004, the 68,900-square-foot facility is completely accessible. It cost $7.8 million, or $113 per square foot, to build. Depending on the time of year, senior attendance at the church can range from 20 percent to 30 percent.

Ian Withers, facility director for the church, says an accessibility audit shows the building is totally accessible. The church has valet parking service, and its parking lot ministry includes a golf cart to provide transportation for seniors if all accessible parking spaces are full.

A ramp provides wheelchair access to the large platform in the sanctuary. A wheelchair is stored in the foyer for seniors with breathing or mobility issues. Like the Shepherd of the Hills church, the sanctuary seating consists of ergonomically correct chairs rather than pews, making the entire sanctuary accessible to people in wheelchairs.

Staff and volunteers are trained in CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation), and two doctors usually attend every worship service to provide help in the event of a medical emergency.

When You Can't Build New
What about accessibility issues for older church buildings that have multiple levels? What would it take to make them more accessible to seniors and people with disabilities? The first step to becoming more accessible is to put together a task force composed of a staff person, a couple of board members, and two or three senior citizens. The second step is for the task force to conduct an accessibility audit using the modified sample audit included with this article or any of several audit forms available through an Internet search. The task force can also develop a personalized checklist using the ADA requirements.

After the audit identifies accessibility issues, the task force will prioritize the issues (such as platform railings, accessible bathrooms for people with disabilities, parking issues, and so on) and then get cost estimates for correcting them. The ADA Compliance Pricing Guide, Second Edition will help financially prioritize upgrades to the sanctuary. Be sure to take local building codes into account in any renovations.

According to Greg Snider, project developer for the Aspen Group, with a church design and construction firm, some basic things can be done to improve accessibility. For example, "Handrails for the platform stairs are a great place to start with a minimal investment of around $10 per linear foot of handrail," Snider says. While elevator installation is too expensive in many cases, Snider says churches are using portable mechanical lifts for people in wheelchairs. Such lifts are available starting at about $8,000. Other churches are using the floor level rather than trying to bring elderly participants up on to the platform.

To calculate the cost to make a restroom accessible, include such factors as vanity height, entrance width, internal floor space, distance from the wall to the toilet, partition dimensions, grab bars, and so on. Snider says it is best to refer to ADA codes when remodeling a public restroom. "However, if you are trying to improve the function of the restroom without a total remodel, smaller steps can be accomplished for a minimal investment, such as adding grab bars."

Removing a curb and adding a depressed sidewalk can be accomplished by removing a four-foot section and replacing it with a ramp. This typically costs about $2,500. A typical code requirement for such ramps is one foot of ramp for every one inch of rise. "So, a four-inch curb requires a four-foot ramp," Snider says.

Be creative with accessibility solutions. For example, move a choir rehearsal to the sanctuary and out of the basement and add handrails to the platform steps. These two steps alone will allow senior citizens to continue singing in the choir.

Sight, Sound, and Seating
Assistive listening devices encourage people with hearing impairments to participate in worship services. Kent Morris, president of Cornerstone Media, says that retrofitting an existing sound system to accommodate assistive listening devices is relatively simple and inexpensive. "If you have 20 to 30 percent seniors, five percent of them might need these devices," says Morris.

A church with 400 members and a 20-percent senior attendance rate could purchase a transmitter for about $750 and four hands-free devices for about $100 each for a total investment of about $1,150. Wireless speakers cost an estimated $250 each. "The hands-free, over the ear device is the most popular," says Morris, "because people can open their Bibles or hymnals without having to juggle a hand-held device."

These devices increase the possibility that people with hearing impairments will attend worship services and then will volunteer for ministry opportunities. Other auxiliary services include sign-language interpretation, note takers, and written materials. For people with vision impairments, additional services could include qualified readers, taped texts, and Brailed or large-print materials.

Churches looking to make their sanctuary seating more senior friendly should consider flexible seating with chairs instead of pews. Still, an entire sanctuary need not be converted from pews to chairs—switch out selected sections based on the number of seats needed by people with special needs.

Ergonomically correct chairs can be ordered with arms, which is particularly helpful for frail seniors. Good quality chairs will cost $40 to $55 each, with another $4 to $10 per chair for options such as arms or hymnal racks. The front-to-back distance between chairs or pews should be at least 36 inches. Consider increasing the distance if you have a congregation with a lot of seniors in order to make it easier for them to get in and out of the rows.

Jeff Sladick, national sales manager for Bertolini Sanctuary Seating, encourages churches to purchase high-quality chairs, particularly paying attention to products that pass all fire and safety codes. Sladick also recommends getting wider chairs for congregations with seniors. A 20-inch chair is the standard size, but chairs are also available in 18-, 21-, and 22-inch widths.
If possible, try to blend in the accessible seating. Doing so helps seniors feel more welcome. Stay within fire codes but try to disperse wheelchair-accessible areas throughout the sanctuary. Ushers and greeters should be trained on how to assist people with mobility problems and to help them to their preferred seating areas.

When a congregation values the involvement of all age groups and all individuals, regardless of their abilities, it will work to ensure that an issue like accessibility does not hinder the participation of anyone. For more information on how your church can expand its ministry to seniors and the disabled, contact the Christian Institute on Disability.

This article originally appeared in Your Church magazine.