Designing Communications
Icon Bulletin helps non-readers engage at Columbus Mennonite Church
by Tracey Lehman
An excerpt from Columbus Mennonite Church’s Icon Bulletin
In 2014, Columbus Mennonite Church implemented the Icon Bulletin. As one of our church’s accessibility advocates and the mom of two boys with Down syndrome, I wanted our church to have a bulletin that could be meaningful to non-readers.
I collaborated with Gwen, our church secretary, who also has a son with Down syndrome. We decided it would be better to create a separate bulletin with simple text and visual symbols rather than to try to modify the existing bulletin. Gwen found icons to represent every activity in the worship service, including the Mennonite hymnals, the pastor, and a “quiet” icon.
The beautiful thing about this modified visual bulletin is that it’s not only useful for our children with Down syndrome but also for typically developing children who can’t yet read.
Tracey Lehman is a stay-at-home mother to three boys, two of whom have Down syndrome. Tracey and her family reside in Galena, Ohio.
