Central Presbyterian Church is committed to providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities. This policy is intended to meet the requirements of Ontario Regulation 429/07 under the Accessibility for Ontarians Disabilities Act, 2005. This policy aims to ensure that persons with disabilities are given equal opportunity to obtain, use and benefit from the goods and servicesw hich Central Presbyterian Church provides. Reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that goods and services are provided in a manner which respects the guiding principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.

1. Support Persons
Persons with disabilities are permitted to be accompanied by their support person in premises that are open to the public, when accessing goods and services provided by Central Presbyterian Church.

Central Presbyterian Church may deem it necessary to require a support person for a person with a disability in order to protect the health and safety of that person or of others. This will only occur after consultation with the person with a disability and when it is the only means to allow the person with a disability to access the services provided by the Church.
When an admission fee is charged for an event run by Central Church which takes place on church property, support persons will not be required to pay. When a fee is charged for an eventrun by other organizations or taking place in different locations, each case will be considered on an individual basis.

2. Service Animals
Persons with disabilities are permitted to be accompanied by their service animal and keep that animal with them in areas that are open to the public, when accessing goods and services provided by Central Presbyterian Church, unless otherwise prohibited by law. In the event that a
service animal is prohibited by law from the premises, the Church will endeavour to undertake other measures to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods and services provided by the Church.
Service animals must be supervised by their owners and kept in control when used to  access the Church’s goods and services. Service animals not in control may be asked to leave.
This provision does not apply to animals or pets for any other purpose. Central Presbyterian Church reserves the right to specify that other animals not be permitted on church property or at church events.

3. Service Disruptions
In the event of a planned service disruption to facilities, services or systems that are relied upon by people with disabilities to access the Church’s goods or services, notice of the disruption shall be provided in advance.

Notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities, services or systems that may be available.

Notice may be given by posting the information in a conspicuous place on premises owned or operated by the provider of goods or services, or posted on the Church’s web site or by such other method as is reasonable under the circumstances. In the event of an unexpected disruption, notice will be provided as soon as possible.

4. Assistive Devices
Persons with disabilities may use assistive devices as required in accessing goods and/or services provided by Central Church unless otherwise prohibited by law.

5. Communication
Communications with a person with a disability will be conducted in a manner that takes the person’s disability into account.

6. Format of Documents
As required by Ontario Regulation 429/07, Central Presbyterian Church will prepare one or more documents, describing the following, and provide them upon request to any person:
 Policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods and services topeople with disabilities;
 Policies, practices and procedures governing the use of service animals and supportpersons;
 The steps the Church will take with regard to a temporary disruption of facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities;
 The Church’s policy on providing training on accessible customer service; and,

 The Church’s process for receiving and responding to feedback on the provision of goods and services to people with disabilities.

If the Church is required by Ontario Regulation 429/07 to provide documents to a person with a disability, the document or the information contained in the document will be provided in a format
that takes into account the person’s disability. The Church will make reasonable efforts to respond to requests for documents in alternate formats in a timely manner.

7. Training
As required by Ontario Regulation 429/07, the following individuals will receive training on a number of topics outlined in the regulation:
 staff, volunteers, agents/contractors and any other individuals who interact with the public or other third parties on behalf of Central Presbyterian Church and,
 staff, volunteers, agents/contractors and any other individuals who participate in the
development of the Church’s policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to members of the public.
The training will include all items required by the legislation, as outlined in Appendix 2

8. Feedback Process
Central Presbyterian Church shall create and maintain a feedback process so that members of the public are able to comment on the provision of goods and services to people with disabilities.

The feedback process will allow for comments in person, by telephone, in writing, by email, or during a visit by an elder or pastoral visitor.
The feedback process will specify the actions that will be taken by the Church, if complaints or suggestions are received.

Adopted by Session February 2014

Q:  What does the “unity of the church” mean? There are at least three distinct meanings for the phrase. There is the unity of the holy catholic church; there is the unity of The Presbyterian Church in Canada; and there is the unity of an individual congregation. Each is important in our present debate.

Central Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, is a large, healthy and diverse congregation with a relatively low average age, ranging from birth to 100. While embracing a ‘contemporary’ worship style, the congregation might be described as fairly conservative in its outlook; is generally well educated , is well aware of, and receptive to the current pace of change in both secular society and the church. The congregation encompasses a broad range of understandings of sexual orientation.  (One member participated in writing the 2003 report of the GA Special Committee on Sexual Orientation, some are involved in the Alpha program, and some adhere to understandings that differ from current PCC doctrine).

The session recently set aside a time for elders to discuss the question posed by the Committee of Moderators and a variety of views was heard.

1. Predominantly, all who spoke agreed that we must recognise the importance and centrality of Christ-like love for all people. Examples were given of how the church had failed in the past, and how we have moved ahead from those times while learning to accommodate our differences.

• We were reminded in a passionate presentation that at Central we have several families who have members in same sex marriages who are accepted and welcomed as equals by the congregation.  Given the number of our congregation, we know we must have others whose orientation is not heterosexual, and who are welcomed under our unofficial motto of “Come as you are”. Credit was given to those who have difficulty with this, yet who unreservedly project Christian love for them.

• We were also reminded, by poignant example, that there are conditions other than sexuality that can, but should not, divide us.

• There was no sense that the issues we faced in the discussion offered any grounds for dividing the church at any level, locally, nationally or globally. It appeared that the values that hold us together: worship, fellowship and service – are stronger and more important than the issues that could divide us if we allowed them to.

• It was stated that it is fundamental to our belief that the church in all its denominations is the body of Christ on Earth. As with any other body, human or spiritual, we believe that it cannot be divided and survive, and with grace, we shall continue as that one, undivided body.

Note:  We often see the word ‘homophobia’ used in discussions of this topic and it is often misused. It needs to be remembered that this is defined as a fear of homosexuality; not a hatred of homosexual people. The difference is real and is important.