Uplift Access: Uplifting Accessibility In and Beyond Unitarian Universalism

UPLIFT Access Blog

UPLIFT Access Logo with green border that include disability pride flag, which has a black background and diagonal color of green, blue, white, yellow, and red. On the right side of the flag is the black UUA chalice logo and UPLIFT Access (green). Underneath is the tagline, "Uplifting Accessibility In and Beyond Unitarian Universalism."
  • Image of Gretchen Maune: A white non-binary person with dark brown straight hair and blush lipstick, weard a black short sleeve shirt and holding a white cane with a black handle.

    Amidst the violence caused by catastrophic hurricanes, the exorbitant cost of healthcare, and the scarcity of affordable, accessible housing, my thoughts turn to the upcoming elections. NPR and my social media feed make it impossible for me to turn away from these human-caused disasters that...

    October 10, 2024 | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: Disability & Accessibility
  • Image description: Gretchen kneels with one knee on the floor next to her guide dog, Royal, at the US Capitol building. They are standing in front of a decorated railing with swirls and vines. Gretchen is wearing a red top with a black cardigan and black pants. Royal is a light buff colored dog wearing a brown harness.

    Happy September and welcome to a new year of Uplift Access newsletters and webinars! Each month, we’ll provide you a deep dive into an accessibility or disability justice topic, UU access updates, and resources ready to help you increase the inclusion of disabled people in your congregation. By...

    September 12, 2024 | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: Disability & Accessibility
  • UPLIFT ACCESS MONTHLY RESOURCE WEBINARS in green and red letters that overly a planet made of gold grid lines and circled by a ring, with stars on the upper right.

    Lay leaders, religious professionals, and allies are invited to join us for our monthly lunchtime webinars where you can learn how to be more accessible and inclusive of your congregation’s disabled members and visitors.

    By Gretchen Maune | August 8, 2024 | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: #DisabilityJustice, Acceptance, Anti-Oppression, Disability, Inclusion, Disability & Accessibility
  • May 13th is Global Accessibility Awareness Day in white letters and a blue background with an image of a globe illustrated with white grid lines atop a white computer keyboard.

    Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is now in its 13th year, I’m excited about the programs hosted by advocates around the world to raise awareness around digital accessibility.

    By Gretchen Maune | May 17, 2024 | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: Disability & Accessibility
  • A rainbow of orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple above a cloud and the word AUTISM in corresponding colors.

    In their 2021 article, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network explained that the month’s purpose is “to change the conversation around autism, shifting it away from stigmatizing “autism awareness” language that presents autism as a threat to be countered with vigilance.

    By Gretchen Maune | May 17, 2024 | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: Disability & Accessibility

  • March 1st was the annual Disability Day of Mourning, and my feed was full of vigil videos and sorrow. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network and other organizations began using this date twelve years ago to memorialize the disabled beloveds we lose each year to filicide, the murder by a family member or

    By Gretchen Maune | March 11, 2024 | For Multigenerational | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: Disability & Accessibility
  • Image Description: DISABILITY RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS. The words "disability" and "human are in red letter with a gray shadow font. The word "are" is blue with a gray shadow font. The word "rights" is in white with a gray shadow font.

    As UUs, our eighth principle calls us to fight for systemic change against oppression. While we don’t all have the platform of Rev. Dr. William Barber, we can all advocate in our own way. May your new year be full of opportunities to affect change and excellent movie experiences!

    By Gretchen Maune | February 1, 2024 | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: Disability & Accessibility
  • A UU chalice made of bronze metal with large rings and a small white lighted candle in the center. Next to the chalice is a large brown bowl filled with sand with twelve thin white lighted candlesticks. Both the chalice and bowl of candles are on a small wooden table in front of a wooden lectern that is partially visible on the altar of the congregation, with a black grand piano.

    Despite the bright, twinkling lights and the chiming bells, some of us are full of grief, fear, and pain. We believe there should be a time to honor these feelings as well.

    By Gretchen Maune | December 12, 2023 | For Families, Multigenerational | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: #DisabilityJustice, 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Anti-Oppression, Disability, Health, Spirituality, Unitarian Universalism, Wholeness, Disability & Accessibility
  • Image of Gretchen Maune and Rev. Molly Housh Gordon standing in front of Missouri State House with supporter of trans rights holding signs that say "Protect Trans Kids" and "Trans Kids are Kids." Gretchen is a white person with brown hair, smiling and wearing a black t-shirt that reads "When they go low, we throw down" and Rev. Molly is a white person with red/auburn hair smiling with a purple clergy shirt and white clergy collar, underneath a white t-shirt.

    The more I fill my life with people who love me for who I am, the more I’m able to unmask my autism, be open about my blindness and my depression, and freely share my gender and sexuality.

    By Gretchen Maune | October 31, 2023 | For Multigenerational | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: Disability & Accessibility
  • Multicolored Broken Mirror Decor

    In order to dismantle the systems of oppression that not only deny access, but also inhibit our bodily autonomy we must directly challenge the status quo.

    By Amanda Schuber | September 23, 2023 | For Multigenerational | From Uplift Access
    Tagged as: Disability & Accessibility