Congregational Accessibility Network (CAN) offers the Congregational Assessment Survey (CAS) as a tool to help congregations assess their level of accessibility.  This enables congregations to do two things:

• Celebrate steps already taken to include persons with disabilities of all kinds.
• Suggest additional steps that could help the congregation become even more inclusive. 

The pages in this section will take you through the Survey questions.  Many of the questions are illustrated with photographs or short video clips.  There are also links to a separate Resources section which contains materials to help your congregation improve accessibility.  To actually register your congregational data, there is a blue Take the Survey button in the left column of each page.

If you are interested in simply getting a quick overview of the Survey tool, you can download the Quick Checklist, available as a PDF file.

The CAS tool is generally most effective when integrated into an intentional congregational process to become more inclusive of persons with disabilities and mental illness.  See the CAN Study Process page.

Filling out the survey generates the CAN Accessibility Seal and awards a full color emblem for congregations that meet certain criteria in any of the accessibility areas listed on the Survey Overview.  Each area has its own web page on this site where more information and specific questions are available.

Suggested steps:

1. Read through the material below on this page.  Download the Introduction and Summary sheet that goes along with this material and print it out for reference. 

2. Browse through the various accessibility areas in order using the navigation system in the left column.  This will give you a good feel for the scope of the survey and the accompanying resources available.  Photographs on these pages illustrate many accessibility features. Please keep in mind that these resources will be expanding as more churches join the network.

3. Download the hard copy version (in PDF) of the Congregational Assessment Survey Form.  Print it out and put it on a clipboard.  Take the clipboard, along with a pencil or pen and a measuring tape and make a complete survey of your building and grounds.  This is best done with two or three people. Jot down your answers and notes on the survey form.

4. If you are using a Caravel web site on Mennonite.net, follow the instructions below.  Otherwise, take the online survey.  If you have done the previous steps, this should take no longer than 15-30 minutes.

4. a. Log in to your Caravel site.
b. In the column where you want your seal to appear, select Add Feature under Add Block (green plus sign).
Choose Congregational Accessibility Survey.
c. Follow the instructions on the block.