"You'll have to get out of the aisle -you're a fire hazard."

While I was googling for articles about siblings of those with disabilities, I found this.

Greg Smith, a wheelchair user, writes in Essence magazine about his experience going to a church where he is told to get out of the aisle because he is a fire hazard.

I can relate. Those same words have been used to me in Catholic churches. When I asked where I should go in my wheelchair, I was told to either get into a pew or leave. "There is no room for a wheelchair," the usher said to me the first time it happened. I was stunned.

And I left. I can't transfer into a pew - and even if I do, without any sides to hold onto, I'd fall over onto the lap of the person next to me, which is not a good look in church. (Although it can be amusing at a party).

But that was the last time I left and the last time I shall ever leave God's House.

As a cradle Catholic, I was filled with a sense of outrage that I was being told to leave a church - it felt like it was not just the building, but the Church. When I tell other Catholics what happened to me, they are appalled. When we are in God's House, even one incident like this is not okay. What I haven't told people is that it didn't happen just once to me - it happened numerous times.

So this morning I find out it happened to Greg Smith, who is writing about his experiences as a black man in his community. And he reports the same stunned reaction as his connection with the Holy Spirit is interrupted by the words "...you're a fire hazard." ...you're in the way....

Where are we to go?

The second and third and fourth time it happened to me, I asked where I could go in my wheelchair and when I was told there was no place, I just stayed put. I realize that if I travel, if I go to a church where I am not known, this can and does still happen. Now I just smile back and say firmly "I'm not going anywhere. I belong here."

i belong. You belong. All God's children belong.

We need to get over these idea that having someone in a wheelchair show up in church is a "big deal". We need to embrace that (thank God) technology allows people with disabilities to be out and about in society and participate and now we have to deal with inclusion issues.

What can be done? We can educate the ushers for one thing. They are the folks who are on the front lines so to speak and represent the Catholic community as a first welcoming committee. ( The clergy won't even know this is an issue unless it is brought to their attention. How do they know what the ushers are saying if we don't speak up?)

Another idea is to prepare for the possibility that a wheelchair user might show up. If there is a genuine concern about someone being in an aisle, set aside a section of seating. There are now pews built that accommodate wheelchairs. A less expensive solution is to use areas of the church where there is room and instruct ushers to seat folks in wheelchairs there.

Let's keep this issue in perspective: it is an awareness and educational issue. It's only a problem in some churches. We can work on this together.

And now I'm going to get ready to go to Mass.