Applying for Your UMC Gold Disability-Friendly and Accessible Badge
Step 1: COMMIT!
We hereby certify that our congregation scored at the Gold Badge level based on completing the Annual Accessibility Audit for United Methodist Churches and scoring at least 85% on all Bronze, Silver, and Gold audit items. By applying for Gold “Disability-Friendly and Accessible” designation, this congregation commits to continuing to remove barriers of architecture, communication, and attitudes so that disabled people are fully included in all aspects of worship, leadership, ministry, and mission.
We agree that the Gold Badge statement below reflects our facilities and values:
Gold (Great accessibility and accommodations): Churches go beyond the ADA and strive to provide full accessibility, inclusion, and accommodations such as an accessible chancel and automatic door openers.
Step 2: REQUEST AN ACCESSIBILITY SITE REVIEW
Please complete the linked Gold Badge Site Review Request form. We will get back to you soon with information on the person with whom you can schedule the site review visit. Please gather a team to meet with the reviewer(s) virtually or in person, and identify additional accessibility and inclusion measures offered by your congregation to discuss as potential Bonus points.
Step 3: COMMUNICATE AND CELEBRATE!
Congratulations on the hard work your congregation has done to get to this point! Once you are approved, include a liturgy of congregational commitment during a worship service. It can be as simple as having worshipers say the words:
“We commit to continuing to remove barriers of architecture, communication, and attitudes so that disabled people are fully included in all aspects of worship, leadership, ministry, and mission.”
Include an explanation of the Gold Badge as part of this liturgy. Use the badge on your church website and in print or digital media to let potential guests know of your access and intentionality. Let your Administrative Council and Annual Conference Disability Concerns Committee know that you earned the badge, and include the information as part of your Charge/Church Conference report.
Step 4: DONATE!
Please strongly consider making a donation to the Disability Ministries Committee of the UMC in order to assist other churches to make accessibility improvements.