Let’s think about ways to provide access to the main sanctuary and make our spaces welcoming. It is important that we create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. This includes accessible seating. However, not every need is immediately visible. Some may need extra room to use a walker or cane, while others experience pain with certain movements or have limited mobility.
Think of your sanctuary. If you have saints or visitors who use a wheelchair, can they sit so they aren’t in a corner or in an aisle where people may bump them as they walk past? When creating an inclusive area for seating, we should consider how the location affects how the person interacts with the service. Ask yourself, “If I was sitting there could I see the overhead and the preacher? Would I feel left out or in the way?”
Permanent Spaces
Do we move chairs to make room for people using a wheelchair, but after service we immediately reset that space for someone who doesn’t use a wheelchair? If so, this may send an unintentional signal that they are an inconvenience or even unwanted.
If your sanctuary has chairs, create a couple of rows that have fewer chairs, thus creating a space for a wheelchair that does not encroach into the aisle. Keep these spaces permanently open, so an usher doesn’t have to move the chair each time that space is needed. This is something very simple that says, “We have room for you, and we want you here!” If you are using pews and cannot accommodate wider aisles, use shorter pews which allow space for wheelchairs to slide in on either side or remove a row for accessible seating. This can be done throughout the room, giving everyone the same flexibility to sit where they are comfortable and ensuring they can freely participate and feel included.
Aisles
Adjusting our aisles is an easy way to make our churches more accessible. Manual wheelchairs range from 24” to 39” wide, depending on the size of the person. An additional inch is needed on each side to avoid scraping knuckles. Building code requires aisleways to be a minimum of 36” (50 people or fewer) or a minimum of 42” (more than 50 people), however these minimums can sometimes be too small.
One way to help is to provide a center aisle that is a minimum of six feet wide. This spacing would allow for two average-sized wheelchairs to pass with some flexibility. If your sanctuary allows, consider 6 to 8 feet for your center aisle. If side aisles are needed to access other areas of the church or seating, consider making these aisles 48” wide. These suggestions are for aisles that are flat.
Consider the Side-Step
Many churches have about a foot of space in their rows between the front of the seat and the back of the seat in front of it. While this amount of space does meet code, these rows are not easily accessible to everyone. Those who use a walker or cane or someone who struggles with side-stepping may need more room to maneuver safely and be seated comfortably.
Accessible rows should have 60” from the back of the seat in one row to the back of the seat in the next row. These wider aisles will also accommodate people using walkers or who need more room to maneuver. Provide a wider row toward the front, in the middle and towards the back. This provides everyone the same flexibility in seating.
Implementing just one of these ideas can move us towards being an inclusive church.
Kathleen Pennington is married with four children. She is an architectural designer and owner of Something Different Designs. She has a degree in interior design from Northern Arizona University and has worked in the field for more than 18 years across multiple states. Kathleen and her family attend Mercy Center Apostolic Church in Shelbyville, Illinois and are involved in many ministries.