For Workshop 3, Are We Doing the Right Things, Activity 4, Leadership and Management

Accessibilities Audit Scenario

Cut to create six different “roles” for the fishbowl role play. Give each of the six volunteer role-players a different slip.

Player One: Chair of the Board. You are overwhelmed by this latest news and very worried. There just doesn’t seem to be any more money to be had from the congregation, and the accessibility upgrades will be costly. You’re afraid that this will torpedo the whole project.

Player Two: You are angry with the local government for imposing this on the congregation. You believe they have no right to do so. Your attitude is that the local government should support the building repairs and upgrades the congregation is under-taking, rather than undermine them.

Player Three: You have arthritis in your hands and in your knees, and you sometimes find the front steps and the door handles difficult to negotiate. You are quiet about this difficulty and are not sure that you are ready to share your experience with this group.

Player Four: You believe in your heart that making the congregation more accessible to those with mobility impairments is the right thing to do, and you are convinced that a way can be found to do it. You are often seen as the “impractical” one in the group.

Player Five: You wonder if the accessibility upgrades make good financial sense. From your point of view, the planned upgrades will benefit many people, and the accessibility upgrades will benefit only a few.

Player Six: You have been the representative to the building task force, and you are exhausted. You have done all that you can do to get this project ready to the point where construction and renovation can begin—and now this!! You are discouraged and feel unappreciated.