Public places and communal buildings must ideally include facilities for people with special needs. And a place like a church, a house of worship, isn’t any different. In a house of worship, you want to make them feel welcome as well as comfortable:
Here are some ways you can do that:
Create Programs To Welcome Special Needs
If you’ve developed a building that’s accessible for people with special needs, you need to create an environment where they can thrive. You can include welcoming activities that can help individuals participate, like hosting a buddy break with an organization. In this program, you can help create weekly get-togethers for individuals between the ages of 0-20 to play games, sing songs, make crafts, and do many other activities.
The members of the charitable organization can facilitate your parishioners, and their families with special needs feel more comfortable every time they visit the church.
Extra Features That Make A Significant Difference
You can do many things to improve the comfort of being at church for people with mental and physical health concerns. For instance, adults and children who wear diapers because of their health condition can benefit from massage tables in the bathrooms. It can make their lives a little easier because using pull-out changing stations can be a bit difficult in bathrooms.
You can also include a quiet space where individuals with sensory and mental disorders can calm down when things become too stressful for them at church. This place shouldn’t be too small to cause claustrophobia or too large to make them feel overwhelmed. You can include stuffed animals, soft lighting, comfortable chairs, or books for the child’s well-being.
Wayfinding In the Church
You can accommodate people with disabilities by making a few changes. These changes can help people with cognitive impairments, behavioral issues and learning disabilities feel more comfortable in your church’s environment. You can make modern accessibility adjustments to the building entrances for people using wheelchairs or walking aids.
Another way is adding good wayfinding in which any objects don’t block lines of sight and use colors and textures to differentiate the parts and rooms of a building. You can make the space well-lit with minimal doors to avoid possible disorientation in any space.
Get Affordable Church Property And Ministry Insurance With Us
Now that you know how to make your church more accessible for your parishioners with special needs, you can also get insurance to protect your visitors, members, and your church property. Check out Integrity Now Insurance Brokers for a tailored insurance plan for your house worship.
Get in touch with us now to learn more about church property insurance and church liability insurance. Or call us to get started on your insurance process.