Eastern Pa. moves toward full accessibility

For 27 years the Rev. Paul Crikelair, a profoundly hearing-impaired pastor, has been attending the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference, and has been left to fend for himself, with his special needs essentially ignored. Now, however, Eastern Pennsylvania is rethinking what it means to be an inclusive conference by addressing the needs of persons with disabilities.

Bishop Peggy Johnson

Due to Bishop Peggy Johnson’s advocacy and a Disabilities Concerns Committee she formed, Eastern Pennsylvania offered a wide range of services to persons with hearing, visual and mobility disabilities. Those services included large video screens, assistive listening devices, real-time captioning, skilled American Sign Language interpreters, a large-print reader and video streaming.

Crikelair likened the change to the story of Joseph in Egypt. The Bible “relates that he was forgotten in prison for two full years, before being suddenly remembered and quickly brought out from the dungeon, given a change of clothes and led before Pharaoh,” he said. “We can only imagine how stunned Joseph must have been at this abrupt change in his status.”

Crikelair said he found himself identifying a lot with Joseph during the recent session of annual conference. “At this session, there was a special section up front for those with hearing and visual limitations,” he said, “and I was able to benefit from a virtual plethora of aids.” Those aids included assistive listening devices: headphones integrated into the sound system.

American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters Carol Stevens and Mary Gladstone provided skilled interpretation for Crikelair and Jeff Weber, a lay delegate from Stroudsburg United Methodist Church. Weber describes himself as “a late-deafened adult, who uses ASL as a way to facilitate communication because of its ability to convey emotion of the speaker.”

It is difficult to express how frequently I do not bother to attend.

“It is difficult to express how frequently I do not bother to attend academic conferences, meetings, or events,” Weber said, “because I know without a sign language interpreter or CART, they will be meaningless.”

CART refers to Computer-Aided Realtime Translation, the instant translation of the spoken word into text. Deborah Cunningham, a CART reporter with TCS Assoc., used a stenotype machine, notebook computer and real-time software to type text that was displayed on a large screen.

“By the afternoon session of the second day,” Weber said, “there were dozens of older delegates sitting behind Paul and me following along with the captioning. Though many of them would never admit it, they needed the captioning. By providing it, you enabled them to better understand what was occurring in the conference.”

The Rev. Thomas Anderman, 81, has been attending annual conference sessions since the 1940s. This year was only the second time he had failed to attend. This year, Anderman tuned in on his computer and watched via video streaming.

Anderman watched Weber, sign grace in ASL before the Tuesday evening meal. Anderman’s daughter, Clarita Krall said, “He called me right after, all choked up that he was able to see it.” Anderman also tuned in for the Memorial Service, the retiree service and ordination.

Video streaming

The Rev. Charlene Gaspar also tuned in to the video streaming. She has been on disability since 2005 and unable to attend annual conference. “Just to watch it on computer was a blessing,” she said. “The whole live streaming was great, and provides a vital connection. I have felt out of the loop, but this helps me feel like I’m in the loop.”

I have felt out of the loop, but this helps me feel like I’m in the loop.

As a Visually Impaired Christ Servant Minister and active member of Cookman UMC in Philadelphia, Wilhemina Young has been attending conference sessions for more than 10 years. She said, “This was the first year at annual conference I was able to fully participate on my own.”

Young was provided a closed-circuit TV (CCTV) that enlarged printed materials. “The CCTV allowed me to read all written materials as they were distributed,” she said. “I usually enjoy annual conference, but this year, for the first time I felt truly part of the process. I was fully engaged in my role as a ‘reading’ Lay Member. It was a wonderful and exhilarating feeling. It was an empowering experience!”

Weber and Crikelair were grateful for the new services. They also had recommendations for improving disability services for next year, including placing captioning on the main screens, positioning ASL interpreters in the line of sight of the speakers on stage, and making ballots accessible.

The Conference Disabilities Concerns Committee, headed by the Rev. Jim McIntyre, is planning several events to help congregations recognize the need for these services and make plans for adding them to their program of ministry.

“The body of Christ is complete only when the gifts of all persons are fully included,” said Bishop Johnson.

Ministry with Deaf People

Johnson has appointed Carol Stevens, an ASL interpreter for 45 years, to lead a Philadelphia Area Deaf Ministry Team. “There is still more work to be done to increase our sensitivity not only on a conference level, but also in the local church,” Johnson said. “There are thousands of people for whom there is no access to church. In the past, we as the Body of Christ have been diminished because we have not had the gifts and graces of everyone at annual conference. It is wonderful to be calling the whole Body together.”

Stevens and Bishop Johnson will offer a Ministry with Deaf People Workshop Saturday, Oct. 17, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jonestown UMC, 109 W. Market St. Anyone, hearing-impaired or not, interested in ministry with deaf people is encouraged to attend.

The bishop will lead opening worship. Five workshops will follow: “So you want to start a deaf ministry,” “Ministry to people who are hard of hearing and late-deafened,” “Introduction to American Sign Language,” “Skill development for Religious ASL Interpreting” and a “Focus group for Deaf people.” After lunch will be an open discussion about deaf ministry.

Cost is $10 payable at the door. Lunch will be provided. To register, go to Deaf Ministry. For more information, contact Carol Stevens, Deaf Ministries Area Coordinator, at (443) 794-6499.

Bishop Johnson commented about the conference’s new emphasis. “I hope we keep rethinking church for a long time,” she said. “Jesus was always in the margins: the margins of life. If we are all so worried about church growth, well there are plenty of fields that are ripe in the margins.”

Videos of Bishop Johnson speaking to deaf persons and about deaf ministry are available online at deaf ministry.