Campsie Corps livestream keeping Rachel connected
BY ANTHONY CASTLE
Ivy is the parent of three adopted adult children with disabilities. Each Sunday, Ivy and her niece Rachel go online to participate in the livestream of the meeting at Campsie Corps, Sydney.
The Salvation Army has embarked on a digital journey of digital accessibility, making its presence online more inclusive for people like Ivy and Rachel.
“I’ve been attending The Salvation Army for over 50 years, and there were always problems with inclusion within the church,” Ivy explains. “There was a side door, and we entered through the kitchen. My father had to build a ramp for wheelchair access. The corps has been renovated since then, but it wasn’t easy before.”
Rachel was originally cared for by Ivy’s twin sister, Margaret. When Margaret passed away at the start of 2020, Ivy became Rachel’s guardian in addition to her two adopted children, Tanya and Robert. Rachel is immunocompromised, unable to attend church in person, and needs alternate ways to connect with the community.
“Rachel became immunocompromised, and we hadn’t really been aware of what that meant until COVID happened, and we started talking about it,” Ivy says. “People don’t realise the extent of the risk, that infection could kill her. I can sometimes be overly protective, but the specialist view is that it’s not worth it, particularly with churches that can be big places for spreading infection. That’s the reason why I still don’t take her in person.”
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in restrictions in March 2020, with many churches stopping in-person services and embracing livestreaming. Nearly a quarter of Australians attended religious services online in 2020 and 2021, a trend that has shaped how people digitally access church communities going forward. This has proven a meaningful lesson and an opportunity to better include those who have always lived with disability.
“Livestreaming is very important for Rachel,” Ivy says. “It’s keeping her connected and she’s feeling safe. It’s good for older people too. It’s keeping in contact with people they’ve known for years.”
Campsie Corps Officer Major Peter Davey said he was proud of his team’s dedication to livestreaming services.
“We have a number of people who access the livestreaming ... not only disabled folk but elderly corps folk and other shut-ins,” he said. “In fact, we have one member who had a serious accident recently, so we're going around to the house this week to set them up to stay connected with the corps through the livestream service.”
The Salvation Army’s journey towards digital accessibility isn’t just about livestreaming but has also included increasing compliance with the global Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to make its web presence more inclusive.
Leah MacGibbon, General Manager of Digital Marketing, led the team to learn about accessibility, how to apply it, and how to advocate for it. Leah collaborated with Joseph Pinkard, Disability and Inclusion Lead, to ensure The Salvation Army became digitally inclusive for those who give and those who need support.
“When I first arrived, The Salvation Army website was at 60 per cent accessibility compliance,” Leah explains. “Recognising it was at a low compliance, we knew we had a lot of work to do. When I arrived, the website had an accessibility toolbar that allowed the user to change colours and font size, but these toolbars are only as good as your website accessibility is in the first place.”
Leah’s team oversees digital engagement, social media and provides support to 300 corps and other services. The toolbar on The Salvation Army’s site has since been removed, and inclusion compliance greatly improved. The Salvation Army aims to reach 100 per cent accessibility compliance, and in January 2024, it reached 97 per cent compliance.
“Accessibility ends up helping everybody,” Leah says. “Having a bigger font means everyone can read it more easily, not just someone with low vision. If you put a ramp to your Salvos Store, it doesn’t just help someone with a wheelchair, it helps parents with prams, a delivery person with a trolley. Whatever part of accessibility you’re dealing with, digital or otherwise, you’re including everyone in the end.”
Digital accessibility will continue to be an important focus for The Salvation Army, for those seeking services and support and those connecting with communities on livestreams from their homes.
“We’ve always been active in the church, regardless how we connect with it,” Ivy says. “I’ve always said, ‘As for my house we will serve the Lord’, and we do that in our homes. That’s the most important thing, regardless of where you go, whether it’s digital or at the church. It’s Christ within you.”
If any would like to be a part of The Salvation Army’s digital inclusion journey, they can provide suggestions, advice, or feedback regarding their interactions with our digital platforms via email at accessibility@salvationarmy.org.au
