Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

Intended to steer religious groups toward including people with disabilities, this short video explains the three tenets of inclusion: affirmation, communication, and accessibility. By affirmation, we "open our hearts to one another and recognize the strengths of every person"; by communication, we practice sensitivity and patience, and use "people-first" language; by accessibility, we remove physical barriers to church life. Though it is inspirational and helpful on the awareness and "jump-start" front, this tape is not really detailed enough on the communications and physical-barrier fronts. Everyone knows we should have curb cuts, automatic doors, large-print/Braille materials, accessibility logos, sign-language interpreters, quality sound systems, a TDD for the office, and ramps, but how does one go about acquiring these things, and at what cost? The accompanying booklet and info sheets included with the tape do provide more details (ramp slope, drop-off area, and parking-space dimensions, for instance) and also furnish phone numbers/addresses for a few suppliers and information-sources. Should these auxiliary materials disappear (i.e., be lost or stolen), the value of the video itself would be greatly diminished. Unless you intend to keep a master set of the supplementary materials safely stored away, this is not recommended for circulating collections. Aud: P. (K. Glaser)