Disabilities and extraordinary ministers

[CB_Catholic]

My son gets around in a wheelchair and I hope that he could someday be an altar server just like his able-body sister. We are in the starting phases of building a new church and hope the altar is wheelchair accessible. I have already lobbied for remote actuated doors.

When they built our church they made the altar wheelchair accessible and it is a blessing because now we have a very good reader who is in a wheelchair. He is , however, able to stand at the lectern after hoisting himself up from the chair, but he can’t walk. They did not, however, put in remote-access doors, and I think it is a good idea not only for those wheelchair bound, but also for elderly folks (and others) who have arthritis or limited arm mobility and have trouble opening those heavy doors. There usually is someone there to open the doors for them, but it still would be a good idea. I think I am going to put in a suggestion for this–to have at least one of our doors remote-actuated.

Other than that, our church is very handicap accessible, no steps to climb to get into the church, bathrooms accessible, a lowered drinking fountain, and an elevator to reach the second floor of the office building. And at one of the Masses each Sunday there is someone to sign for the deaf.