PETPOSITIVE'S XMAS WISH FOR ST ANDREW'S

BECOMING A DISABLED-FRIENDLY CHURCH

KUDOS TO ALL of you who wrote in recently to PET+BLOGSPOT to express your views about how several disabled Members of PETPOSITIVE and I were treated when we went to watch a choir performance in St Andrew's Church in Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Stanislaus Anthony PJK didn't mince his words when he pointed out that it was time for St Andrew's to walk the talk on Sundays.

Stanislaus pointed out that non accessible churches through their architecture are really saying to the disabled that they are not welcome in their church.

Ben Fong was even more hard hitting. He pointed out that non disabled-friendly churches like St Andrew's were "most uncharitable and inconsiderate!"

Dr. Jason Chai was right in observing that evening that the heads of St Andrew's could've been more hospitable to first-time disabled visitors.

Although the singing by the choir was most heartwarming, all of us who are disabled concurred that the reception we got - except from Andrew Hwang (bass singer) and Lisa Ho (choral director) was ice-cold!

The pastor or elder present on that day - whoever he or she was - should've at least have had the common courtesy to come up to us and said, "Hello!" or "Welcome to our church," or something. This is what happens with other churches that we visit.

Were they preoccupied, shy or just didn't know how to talk to disabled persons like some people we've encountered?

Righteous Anger was correct in saying that some of the staff at the church are rude.

At St Andrew's a church worker told someone to push me away from where I was positioned, treating me as if I was a piece of furniture instead of a human being.

Earlier in July, the church's secretary refused to allow me to speak to any of the elders. No matter how many times I pleaded with her, she insisted that they were out of bounds to anyone.

Utterly flabbergasted, I retorted to her that it was easier for me to talk to God, the Creator of the Universe than their elder.

She still didn't budge, even though she knew that I was a disabled person and calling for the first time. This left me to wonder if she had even an ounce of compassion in her.

Contented Atheist was spot on when he remarked that Annoyed Presbyterian was merely trying to shift blame on to others instead of taking responsibility in the shabby way in which St Andrew's had treated their disabled guests.

Funny that it should take an individual who doesn't believe in God to be more Christian (if Contented Atheist will excuse my labeling him as such) and caring to the less fortunate than the pious.

Finally, Neutral Observer can afford to put forward his/her viewpoints from a so-called "objective" perspective. But try seeing things from a disability perspective, and the picture will be quite different.

Here now is PET+BLOGSPOT'S review of the disabled friendliness at St Andrew's.

VERDICT: NOT GOOD AT ALL.

• The two disabled-friendly car parks are at the wrong place. It should be next to the entrance and not on slopes where the handicapped can fall and seriously injure themselves.
• Able-bodied parishioners should NEVER park in them even when it is unused. The elders will obviously have to give stronger sermons to inculcate a more considerate attitude among the members. But who educates the elders? For those in doubt, just ask the question: What would Jesus do in such a situation?
• The ramp at the church's entrance is really a joke as well as an insult to disabled people. It is for "goods" instead of people. A check with the Internet will produce the right specifications. PETPOSITIVE will be more than delighted to help St Andrew's with advice on how to build proper ramps.
  
• The entrance into the church proper needs to be leveled for wheelchairs.
• St Andrew's should build disabled friendly restrooms asap. It should have enough room for a wheelchair to turn around.

These are our Xmas wishes for St Andrew's this holiday season!

PET+BLOGSPOT