Please call the church office at 332-3790 if you have special needs for access to our church building or events. Our sanctuary is wheelchair accessible from the sidewalk at Bulkley Avenue, and there is a handicapped parking space off Excelsior Lane next to Thomson Hall, our social hall, downstairs, which also has its own wheelchair access.
DISABILITY ACCESS POLICY
Adopted by the Session (Board of Elders) of the SAUSALITO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - JANUARY 24, 2006
Overview
Sausalito Presbyterian Church is an inclusive church and welcomes all sorts and conditions of people to our worship, our programs, and our common life, as recorded in our Statements of Faith. In particular, and as we are able, every effort will be made to accommodate persons in our church life, regardless of impairments affecting an individual’s mobility, hearing, sight, mental functioning, or other disability. This includes both our facilities and our programs.
Sausalito Presbyterian Church seeks an inclusive outreach to its community by providing reasonable accommodations for the disabled in as many areas and programs as feasible.
Facilities
The church was renovated in 2001 and many facilities were added or modified to increase accessibility and safety for all individuals, regardless of disability. These include: • A concrete ramp with steel railings from Bulkley to the church’s entryway patio • Wheelchair access from the entryway patio to the sanctuary (by raising up the level of the entire patio) • Special seating in the sanctuary to accommodate a wheelchair • A wheelchair-accessible, ADA bathroom on the lower level • A wooden ramp from the lower level hallway to the side patio • One handicap parking space and concrete ramp to a new access door to Thomson Hall. The door has a delayed closing mechanism to allow easier access for the handicapped. • New concrete stairs with steel railings between the sanctuary and Thomson Hall • An assisted-hearing system available for Sunday worship (as noted in the Sunday bulletin)
A freestanding elevator connecting the sanctuary and Thomson Hall levels was planned, designed, and approved during the 2001 renovations, but financial limitations made it impossible to implement. As time and money are available, the intent is to install some sort of elevator/lift access between the two floors.
Other projects will continue to be considered in the future where conditions and/or facilities can be modified to improve accessibility. Just one example is improved access to the children’s classrooms in the Sacred Arts building.
Worship and Programs
1) Activities held at the church. SPC’s goal is to make all activities that are held at the church accessible to everyone, regardless of disabilities. This includes Sunday morning worship, major events in the liturgical calendar (such as Christmas and Easter events), evening events, ministry meetings, weddings, carol services, special children’s services, etc. Where access is not ideal, we will try to make volunteers available to assist where necessary, such as moving someone in a wheelchair between the two levels of the church, helping a visually impaired person navigate their way, etc.
2) Off-site events. For offsite events, every effort will be made to make each event handicap-accessible, particularly all-church events, such as the church picnic. The needs of disabled persons will be taken into account when planning these programs. Where possible, we will choose sites for events that have the best accessibility for persons with disabilities. However, some events may still not be ADA-accessible, such as an evening kayak trip or an evening beach bonfire. In these cases, arrangements will be offered, where possible, to help handicap people attend the events.
Looking Ahead
Improvements to accessibility and inclusiveness for all persons, regardless of disability, will be an ongoing responsibility of Session. Just two of the likely areas for improvement are elevator/lift access between the two levels of the church and handicap access to the Sacred Arts building. Programs and facilities will be reviewed regularly by Session, as needed. And by the adoption of this policy, it will be known by each committee/program leader and Pastor will endeavor to accommodate the disabled when planning all programs and events.