Guidelines for Presenters at GA

LREDA Guidelines For Presenters
Revised October 2010

The following guidelines were developed by the LREDA Integrity Team so as to facilitate fair and equal access to our gatherings as religious educators.  If any point proves to be a concern or one which raises a question, please feel free to contact the LREDA Board member in charge of the event. 

These guidelines will help not only those listening but so too the quality of the presentation for everyone. 

• Please plan, implement and evaluate your program, workshop or worship, to ensure that it is respectful and inclusive of persons of all ages, religions, races/ethnicities, classes, genders, gender identities, physical abilities and affectional orientations. Please choose language and names/identities for examples and case studies that reflect a variety of communities.
• Please speak from your own experience and identify it as such. Be mindful that your audience will listen from multiple perspectives.
• Consider developing your program, workshop or worship, not in isolation, but in consultation with persons, communities, or religious groups whose culture is referenced in your presentation.
• Be mindful of the possible negative impact of cultural appropriation (enacting rituals or using stories, songs, objects or symbols that are sacred to a particular culture.). When in doubt, consult with a representative of that group about using such materials. Be particularly cautious when a representative of a community advises against using their traditions or materials.
• When you plan to share wisdom or information from a culture other than your own, please credit your sources and place your story/activity in context – explaining why and how you have chosen to use the material is very helpful and respectful.
• Try to include contemporary readings that represent cultures featured in your program, not limiting yourself to “long ago” materials. Use of only “long ago” materials and prayers can perpetuate the myth that certain cultures are from the past rather than the present.
• Respect copyright laws and ownership of intellectual property. Credit your sources. Obtain permission before copying materials or music for use as handouts in your program or worship.
• LREDA is a continental organization and we ask that you use language inclusive of our Canadian colleagues. (e.g., the Unitarian Universalist Association is headquarters for U.S. congregations; in Canada it is the Canadian Unitarian Council and Canada is divided into regions, not districts.)
• Please use language that includes first-time participants by refraining from using phrases such as “This person needs no introduction.”

People with obvious and not-so-obvious disabilities need accommodation in order to participate fully. We ask that you consider the following in your  presentation:

o   Large print documents available routinely, and upon request;

o   Projected images that are visible and, where appropriate, readable for all participants (e.g., use of 32 point font in comic sans ms type for projected slides with large print copies available to those with visual impairments);

o   Use of a microphone at all times, both for presentation and also for questions and answers;

o   Attention to facial hair and gestures that may prevent or interfere with lip-reading;

o   Refraining from the use of scented products such as incense, candles, or personal care items, since fragrances can trigger asthma attacks in people with environmental and chemical sensitivities;

o   Use of appropriate language that puts the person first, rather than the disability (e.g., “a person who uses a wheelchair,” rather than “a wheelchair-user”);

o   Refraining from phrases such as “someone who is wheelchair-bound,” implying that a person who uses a wheelchair is tied to the chair;

o   Use of the phrase “Please rise in body or spirit,” rather than “Please stand;”

o   Be mindful that complicated text work can be difficult to process in a conference setting;

o   Reminders to participants to keep fire exits clear and refrain from sitting on the floor behind people using wheelchairs or scooters.   

Accessibility Guidelines to prepare the Gathering (may or may not be applicable):

Routine preparation will include:

·  Availability of individual receivers for sound amplification if so noted as needed on registration form.  Presenters are encouraged to note need as well.  

·   Cut-out, marked spaces for people using wheelchairs and scooters

·   Reserved seating for those accompanying people using wheelchairs and scooters

·   Adequate lighting and reserved seating at the front for people who read lips, along with attention to facial hair and gestures that may prevent or interfere with lip-reading

·   Space for a service animal to lie down or sit, and reserved seating for people who use service animals

·   Reminders to participants to keep fire exits clear and refrain from sitting on the floor behind people using wheelchairs or scooters

·   Ushers who can clear people and furniture from doorways providing ingress and egress to people with accessibility issues and/or concerns