Hospitality is, according to dictionary.com, “the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.” Applying universal design to this means striving to make all of our outward facing communication accessible, but even more than that. Consider all of the ways a stranger or guest might interact with a parish, in person or otherwise. Think about the things that long-time parishioners know but that are not clearly labeled or explained. The unknown and the unclear do not support evangelization and engagement.
Hospitality is, in many ways, the most complex of the four areas of parish life to consider for a universally designed parish because it often requires a culture change. Use NCPD's Raising Awareness resources to help persons in the pews and explore the resources on the bottom of this page for more specific content. Finally, never underestimate the power of language. Learn more about language from the NCPD publication Speaking of Disability: Pastoral Guidelines on Language.
