Accessibility | Fredoniapres

Accessibility of All Sorts

A Word About Our Accessibility & Disability Theology

At Fredonia Presbyterian, we believe disability is not a problem to be solved but a part of the Body of Christ to be honored, centered, and celebrated. We’re not perfect, but we are committed to becoming a community where accessibility is not an afterthought, a favor, or a special accommodation—it is the baseline of Christian hospitality.

Too often, people with disabilities are expected to:

create or request the changes they need
fit themselves into an able‑bodied world
carry the emotional and logistical labor of pointing out barriers

We reject that pattern. And we believe Jesus did too.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus does not “fix” disabled people to make them acceptable. Instead, he confronts the systems, assumptions, and gatekeepers that exclude them. He restores people to community, dignity, and belonging—not by erasing disability, but by removing the barriers others placed in their way.

Our Disability Theology is simple: Accessibility is not charity. It is justice. Inclusion is not optional. It is discipleship. Disabled people do not need to be changed. The church does.

We do not want anyone with a disability to have to tell us we are inaccessible. We want to be a congregation that anticipates needs, removes barriers before they are encountered, and listens deeply to voices of disable folx—not as consultants, but as leaders, teachers, and full participants in the life of the church.

We are committed to:

designing our building, ministries, and worship with accessibility at the center
practicing a theology that honors disabled bodies and minds as holy
learning from disability justice movements and disabled theologians
building a community where everyone can belong without having to fight for their place

This is ongoing work. It will take time, humility, and change. But we believe the Kin-dom of God is accessible, interdependent, and built on shared dignity—and we want our church to reflect that reality as faithfully as we can.

Hearing Impaired & Seeing Impaired

We have printed sermons and can print in large font if you need both.

Wheelchair, Scooter, & Walker Users

Entry & Access: People who use a wheelchair, scooter, or walker are almost completely able to access the whole building. The exceptions are the balcony (which no one generally uses) and the basement. Folks who use wheels come in the same door as everyone else. We do have steps on the "front" of the sanctuary which are not accessible, but those doors are not typically used. Our chancel, the area where the pulpit is, is also not accessible; however, we do have a ramp. Is that good enough? Absolutely not. We've got construction/ADA issues to figure out how to make it work, but it is in the works.

Seating: We have cut out pews, but we do not have a sanctuary that has moveable chairs. Once again, we're trying to get creative, but aren't there yet.

Bathroom: We have an ADA compliant bathroom, which is also gender neutral or all genders.

Fellowship & Other Spaces: We have a wheelchair accessible garden so that everyone can get their hands in the dirt and pick veggies for the Fred Basket food pantry. Kids' rooms, the fellowship hall, and the breeze way are accessible. There are plenty of parking options and when it snows heavy, we do our best to keep the lot easier to roll and walk through.

Service Dogs/Animals

We have so loved the addition of a couple of service dogs to our congregation. One was even recently "ordained" as a Deacon when her handler was ordained. We were a part of one dog's training, so if your service animal is in training, please talk to us about how we can best help your service animal's learning and certification. One working dog helps her person sing in the choir. One chews on toys. We're totally cool if there's a yip here or there or a toy squeak. We do ask that folks respect true service dogs and are not abusing the system. The service dogs in our congregation play a very important role for their humans and are clearly trained.

Neuro-Divergent Folks

We have a handful of folks with different forms on neuro-divergency. We know each person is different. If you're comfortable, please chat with us about how we can accommodate your needs. If you need to wear earmuffs, go for it! If you need a special seat, we got you! If you need or your child/dependent needs to tour the church or meet the pastor before a Sunday morning, reach out. If you have a verbal tick and are worried about it, you'll find yourself in good company where we cherish the ways you will add to the ethos of who we are. We want you to feel comfortable, so please feel do reach out.