Environment: The Church Office
Each of us has gifts to offer. Volunteers are the life blood of
any congregation, and there are many simple accommodations that
will enable people with disabilities to contribute their time and
energy as volunteers.
- Making your office accessible so that people with disabilities
can work in it – it's not a difficult task, but it is often
overlooked. Look around and see what can be done. Accessibility
in your office informs visitors and members, that your faith community
welcomes people with disabilities.
- Large-button telephones are useful. Telephones with volume
control handsets are useful too. Both are easy to find. Telephone
companies generally sell or lease these telephones.
- Wheelchair-accessibility can be a challenge in cramped
offices, but moving clutter out of the way and making wider paths
can be helpful for everybody, including people using scooters
and wheelchairs.
- People come in all different shapes and sizes. Accessible
workstations and storage cabinets take this into account.
- Lighting is important – adding a desk lamp may
make a big difference for a person with limited vision.
- Computers can be modified. There is software and hardware
to adjust to just about anybody's accessibility requirements.
Your local independent living center
 most likely has computer experts who can help you with your computer
settings.
- Train staff and volunteers to be comfortable receiving
and making relay operator [link to Relay Operator Calls in resources]
telephone calls. All states have relay services, which enable
people who are deaf and hearing to communicate by phone. A relay
operator translates TTY (teletypewriter) to voice, and voice to
TTY.
- If your community has a large number of people who are
deaf, then your office should have a TTY and staff and volunteers
should be trained to use it.
- Hire people with disabilities. If you have a job opening,
get in touch with an employment agency for people with disabilities.
Your local independent living center will have information about
how you can recruit a person with a disability.
- Have information available in the office about accessible
public transportation, local services for people with hearing
and vision problems, your independent living center, and other
local agencies that provide services for people with disabilities.
- Train staff and volunteers in proper disability etiquette
so that
they can be courteous and comfortable when people with disabilities
call or visit the office.
›› Take the Accessibility Audit for: Church Office 
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