The UUA and EqUUal Access have announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support our Unitarian Universalist faith communities’ work for accessibility and inclusion, and expanding our commitments to disability justice. The MOU builds on the historic partnership between the two organizations. It ensures that the UUA will provide more resources and staff to address ableism within Unitarian Universalism and to support equity in the engagement of disabled people in society as a whole.

“We are thrilled to move forward together with the UUA on the work defined in this memorandum of understanding,” said EqUUal Access Board of Directors in a statement. “It has taken a long time and much perseverance by those doing disability advocacy and disability justice work to arrive at this important milestone. We look forward to our collective efforts to establish disability justice as a priority for our association, its congregations, and the broader communities we are part of.”

With the MOU, the UUA and EqUUal Access agreed to:

“This MOU creates a strong, transparent and accountable foundation for our relationship with EqUUal Access for years to come,” said Carey McDonald, the UUA’s Executive Vice President. “It puts resources into our commitment to countering ableism, advancing disability justice, and promoting full inclusion in UUA spaces and in our local congregation and communities. We are grateful to EqUUal Access for their long-term partnership, and recognize that expanding the UUA’s support of historically marginalized communities is a core recommendation of the 2020 Widening the Circle of Concern report from the Commission on Institutional Change.”

For more information contact [email protected].

Everyone is welcome to submit a proposal for either virtual or in-person programming for the 2023 Multi-platform General Assembly. Presenters from historically and currently marginalized communities, including people of color and youth, are encouraged to apply. Proposed programs should provide meaningful opportunities for learning and skill development, as well as address one or more of the following focus areas:

The program proposal deadline is Friday, January 13.

General Assembly is an unforgettable experience for the thousands of Unitarian Universalists and partners who attend each June. Do you or someone you know have a story to share about how General Assembly has meaningfully affected your life, your spiritual journey, your social justice activism, or your connection to Unitarian Universalism? We are seeking testimonials to share with the UU community on the power of participating in GA.

The Article II Study Commission is excited to share a full draft of Article II (PDF, 3 Pages) for feedback. The Study Commission's outreach team will be hosting Zoom feedback sessions in the first half of November, along with gathering feedback through a forthcoming online form for individual comments.

The Study Commission will present its final draft to the Board in January for inclusion on the agenda for GA 2023. It will then be the subject of mini-Assemblies before the initial vote at General Assembly. If it passes that delegate vote by a simple majority (more than half), it will require a two-thirds majority vote at GA 2024 to become the new Article II of the Bylaws.

This draft makes significant changes to Article II. We invite you to read it using one of the practices we have started following in our work:

It will be ideal if you can hold suggestions until the online form is available so that they can be more easily gathered and read. But do feel free to direct questions to [email protected].