The Working Group welcomes this Bill as the final hurdle to ratification of the UN Convention and is pleased that the Irish Government is fulfilling its commitment following the signing of this Convention in 2007.

More information on the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 is available from the Department of Justice and Equality (Republic of Ireland): www.justice.ie

I have been involved in working with and for people with various disabilities for most of my life and so when the disability legislation came into being, I was delighted. People with any disability would have to be given the same opportunity for access as anyone without a disability. Reasonable adjustments would have to be made and so I felt that inclusion would be promoted. 

The Church of Ireland in parishes all over the island took on the challenge and now an increasing number of churches are accessible physically to people with a disability. We have made progress but still have some way to go if we are to be fully inclusive to people with various disabilities, including people with ‘hidden disabilities’. And most of the work is about changing attitudes, not just about compliance with legislation. 

When we in parishes or at diocesan level begin to consider people with any disability (and other issues too), the place that we should start is with God and biblical principles:

Being made in the image of God: Everyone without exception being made in the image of God conveys dynamic loving relationships, where everyone needs everyone else to be fully functional. “We all bear one another’s burdens in order to fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). We are all called to be an inclusive community.

Community in the Body of Christ: All people are needed to make up the fully functioning body of Christ, and we are told that the parts that seem to be weaker are indispensable (1 Corinthians 12:22). When people are missing, the Christian community itself becomes disabled.

Inclusion: Active intervention and recognition that everyone has a worth and should be treated with compassion is at the heart of the Gospel.

Love and friendship: The love that Jesus showed in his ministry was inclusive, compassionate, practical and persistent, but never patronising or oppressive – it gives others space to be and to grow.

Justice: Jesus also calls on the powerful to take on the needs of the helpless.

These and the recognition of the contribution of all people are all cornerstones of our Christian faith and lives.

The Church, locally and nationally, should be at the heart of altering attitudes, not just ensuring that legislation is adhered to, so that the Christian value of inclusion for all is achieved, and justice prevails.

We all need to be passionate about ensuring that these principles are carried through to action in a systematic and sustainable way in local churches and parishes. Where there are barriers to inclusion, we need to work to overcome these.  Where we need policies at every level, let us produce them and make them work.  We all need to be intentional and pro–active and meet people at their point of need and show them, as Christ did, that they are precious in his sight and in ours.

This year for Disability Sunday (20th November), we seek to highlight, in particular, the difficulties encountered by those living with dementia and their carers.  The Working Group on Disability wishes to highlight best practice from a parish point of view as we include those living with dementia in the family of the Church.  So we ask that you would let us know how you are seeking to care for those with dementia either physically in church, spiritually or pastorally.  This best practice will be offered to others as a helpful way to embrace those suffering from dementia in our communities.  Suggestions should be forwarded by Friday, 20th January, to dementiabestpractice@ireland.anglican.org and a prize will be available for the best proposal.

The Revd Judi McGaffin is Priest–in–Charge of Fahan Upper and Lower, Diocese of Raphoe, and a member of the Working Group on Disability. This article was first published in the Church of Ireland Gazette on 15th November 2016.

We welcome the formation of such a group, which will enable people with disabilities to have more control over the services and support they access in order to live independent lives and give them the opportunity to have support services tailored to their individual needs.

More information on the work of the task force is available from the Department of Health (Republic of Ireland) at www.health.gov.ie

Using biblical teaching, stories and personal experience, the course will consider the practical outworking of a theology of disability – encompassing the nature of God, our common humanity, what church is and how Christian communities can bring enrichment to all by the appropriate inclusion of people with learning disabilities.

Dates: 13th September to 18th October
Time: 7.00–9.15pm
Location: Glenburn House, Glenburn Road South, Dunmurry, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT17 9JP

The fee is £70 and more information, including booking details, is available at www.belfastbiblecollege.com/learning-disability-and-the-church

The course will be led by Ian Dickson and Rachael Mackarel.  Ian is the Director of Tio – the Centre for Disability Theology and Ministry at the college.

The Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) offers a comprehensive list of voluntary organisations in the Republic of Ireland providing services for people living with a disability.  This includes information on many national and regional organisations which are tailored to the needs arising from varied conditions.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides a listing of disability services by county.  The National Disability Authority (NDA) also offers an accessibility toolkit for staff dealing with different types of disability, available online at www.accessibility.ie 

Disability Action works to ensure that people with disabilities in Northern Ireland attain their full rights as citizens.  Its website is www.disabilityaction.org and includes links to other disability groups in Northern Ireland who provide services, support and resources. 

Several books and other resources which help churches to welcome and serve disabled people are available from Through the Roof, Church House Publishing and Grove Books.

The keynote speaker, Jeff McNair, is a Professor of Special Education at Calfornia Baptist University where he has worked for 26 years.

Other key speakers include Dr Jill Harshaw (Belfast) whose work on spirituality and profound intellectual disability will be published next month. The Tio team also includes Donna Jennings, Rachael Mackarel, Dr Ivan Bankhead and Dr Paul Coulter – each of whom will deliver papers and presentations.

In addition to plenary sessions, there are workshops and seminars on parenting, pastoral support, music and autism, Down’s syndrome, eugenics and bio–ethics. The conference is designed for academics and students, church and community leaders, parents and carers, and professionals working in the context of disability.

Full information on the conference, including an online booking form, is available at: www.belfastbiblecollege.com/tio-conference-2016

Tio is a Centre for Intellectual Disability Theology and Ministry was launched last autumn and is the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland.

It seeks to be a pioneer in the development of accessible theology courses for people with intellectual disabilities, a resource for and training churches and leaders, students and faith communities, a promoter of innovative research, a hub for connecting people, ideas and organisations, and a theological voice on intellectual disability.

As a new initiative to recognise the work of voluntary carers who care for loved ones at home, the Derry and Raphoe Board of Social Responsibility will be running two special evening events next spring. The events will be organised to accommodate both Derry and Raphoe.

Each evening will include an act of worship and hospitality giving time and space for those who attend an opportunity to swap stories, share experiences and support one another. The format will be flexible and designed to be as helpful and supportive as possible. It will also be an opportunity for parishes to support their carers who attend by volunteering practical support where possible and appropriate.

Board member Revd Malcolm Ferry (rector of St Augustine’s Church in Londonderry) relates to this first hand. Malcolm’s wife, Carol, was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 38 when their three children were still at primary school.

Drawing on their experience of daily living with a progressive illness, which can be debilitating at times, they want other families to know that they are not alone and to encourage them to be positive and share the many blessings life can bring.

“Sometimes we see the wheelchair and the person in it but we don’t see the person pushing it,” Mr Ferry explains. “There are also a lot of ‘hidden disabilities’ such as mental illness or dyslexia and therefore ‘hidden carers’ are commonplace in our churches. In the current climate, where more and more resources are being taken away from carers and respite care is less and less available, we are seeking to support voluntary carers in a small way.”

The initiative is also a call for churches to increase their understanding of the wide range of disabilities across society and to support those loved ones who care 365 days of the year. The Church of Ireland designates the third Sunday in November as ‘Disability Awareness Sunday’. Some useful resources are available at www.ireland.anglican.org/news/category/19

This new initiative is an extension of this work and it is hoped that others may learn from this approach in Derry and Raphoe.

This article was first published in the Church of Ireland Gazette.

Enquiries for the Press Office can be made through the contact details below or through the online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

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The third Sunday in November – which this year falls on Sunday 16th November 2014 – is designated as Disability Awareness Sunday and the Church of Ireland’s Working Group on Disability (chaired by the Revd Jennifer McWhirter, prictured right) feels it is an appropriate moment to highlight some useful statistics relating to disability across the island of Ireland. These remind us both of various different types of disability that might be present in congregations and that not all disabilities are immediately obvious.

The Working Group not only aims to make people think beyond disability and towards access for all but also seeks to make people aware of key issues involved in ensuring that churches are as accessible and welcoming as possible both physically and in their culture. Churches and church–based organisations can do much to meet people’s worshipping, pastoral and social needs on an inclusive basis and indeed over recent years church buildings across the island have undergone various changes for the better, from modifications to make them wheelchair accessible to providing handrails on entrance steps, for example. Further improvements could include providing disabled parking spaces or installing a loop system where there isn’t one. Churches and halls should also consider if they have effective evacuation plans for people with a disability. On other fronts, ensuring that large print / braille materials for the sight impaired are available is important and can be further enhanced by incorporating sign translation.

Disability Awareness Sunday is a chance for parishes and select vestries to re–evaluate how they can improve access and to come up with proactive plans to make tangible changes for the better in their own contexts.

It is important to remember that disability affects very many people and should not be thought of as ‘someone else’s concern’. In Northern Ireland in 2011 it was assessed that 40% of households had someone with a long term disability; 5% of the population suffer from some disability and that only 8% of disabilities are visible. The breakdown of the figures revealed that disabilities related to mobility accounted for 11.4%, sight 1.7% and hearing 5.1%.

In the Republic of Ireland, the figures over the past decade are similar but can – taking account of the aging population – be usefully broken down into age categories for those aged 45–64 and 65+. For those in the 45–64 group, disability relating to mobility accounts for 14%, personal care 8%, sight 1.8%, hearing 5% and communication 1.3%; while in the 65+ group, the figures rise to: mobility 41%, personal care 20%, sight 10.6%, hearing 17.9% and communication 3.3%.

Jesus said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’ (John 10:10). If we take these words as His followers seriously it is incumbent upon us to be as open and inclusive as possible so that all people, regardless of ability or disability, can access this ‘full life’ that Jesus offers. So, do try to think of Disability Awareness Sunday as an opportunity for your congregation to celebrate the presence and gifts of people with disabilities of whatever kind in your midst and to imagine both new and innovative ministries to engage people with disabilities and also to meet people’s needs practically.

Further useful resources can be found at www.disabilityaction.org (Northern Ireland based) and the National Disability Authority of Ireland toolkit can be found at www.accessibility.ie (Republic of Ireland based).

Enquiries for the Press Office can be made through the contact details below or through the online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Church of Ireland Press Office

Tel: (028/048) 9082 8880
Duty mobile: +353 87 9484412

Enquiries for the Press Office can be made through the contact details below or through the online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Church of Ireland Press Office

Tel: (028/048) 9082 8880
Duty mobile: +353 87 9484412