Accessibility has long been a problem for the church, whose chapel is a popular venue for weddings, memorials, and musical and theatrical performances. Aging congregants and visitors struggle to use the stairs, which are the only means of accessing both the chapel and the parish house. In 1999, the City of Cambridge designated the chapel a protected landmark, ruling out alterations to its historically significant exterior. Making the parish house accessible would amount to taking the building apart and putting it back together, given the need for an elevator and significantly larger toilets.

Shortly before the church commissioned the study, they launched a new initiative – the Helen Keller Spiritual Life Center. Famous for overcoming deafness and blindness, Helen Keller was a fierce and fearless advocate for persons with disabilities, women’s rights, racial and economic justice, and peace. She was also deeply influenced by the Swedenborgian faith. In addition to offering insight into the role of faith in Keller’s life, the new center will be “a place where activism and religion can be in conversation.” The prospect of a new annex at Swedenborg Chapel represents an opportunity to house the new center while also providing space to support the church, renting constituents, and other community programs who use the chapel’s facilities.