Are you finding that you hear words, but have difficulty understanding them when sitting in the pew at your church? Do you think twice before attending a church social event, or participating in other activities, because it’s too hard to hear individual or group conversations?

Join UMHearingAccess, a new email group for United Methodists with hearing loss or combined hearing and vision loss. Orally deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind people can have difficulty participating fully in the church, yet, when the right accommodations are made, the worship experience and church life on its many levels is enhanced for all attending.

Full access to a congregation can take many forms. Assistive listening systems can help people to hear the words they are missing. Computer assisted notetaking (CAN) or computer-assisted real-time text translation (CART) can translate the spoken word into the written word. Sign language or oral interpreters are helpful for some as descriptive audio is helpful for others. Various communication tips also aid in understanding (such as holding meetings in rooms with sound-absorbing carpeting).

Interested in being proactive and helping to improve worship service and other activities among the United Methodists? Join us. All are welcome.

Ready to join? Click here and you'll be directed to Yahoo groups. Once there, type in UMHearingAccess in “Find a Group” and you’ll be taken to our group. Read our posts. Click on “Join this Group” and Yahoo will take you through the steps to become a member.