Disability friendly

Page Contents

Accessibility

The first way that a church can create a welcoming environment for people with disabilities is to ensure the building is accessible. The Church of England has produced this Equal Access to Church Buildings Guide, intended to help PCCs think about equal access, what this means for how it uses its buildings and relates to people, and how buildings might be adapted to make them more accessible. It also includes practical examples and guidance on gaining permission for building alteration proposals.

Top Tips for Churches

Here you can find some tips to help you remove barriers to participation for people with disabilities. This includes:

Physical Accessibility: Ensuring churches are physically accessible, with ramps, lifts, and accessible bathrooms where possible.

Digital Accessibility: Making digital content available and accessible to all, including large print materials, audio services, and online events.

Support Services: Offering assistance for people with disabilities to attend church services, events, and activities.

Ensure your church building is physically accessible

Something as simple as rearranging chairs, making sure routes are clear of obstacles and clutter, and providing handrails can make a big difference. The Diocese of London created this useful 360 Accessibility Audit to assist in identifying physical barriers and suggest solutions to improve accessibility. This might include installing ramps, widening doors, or ensuring that seating is available for those with mobility challenges.

Make adaptations for services

Offer accessible adaptations including hearing loops, BSL interpreters, audio and visual aids. When hiring an interpreter, or installing adaptations for your church service, this cost should not be passed on to those requiring the assistance. Rather, the cost should be accounted for by the Church, and viewed as part of the church’s ministry in offering welcome and grace.

Provide training for volunteers and staff

Provide training to volunteers and staff, ensuring they are well-equipped to welcome and minister to those who are deaf, disabled and neurodivergent. This will make everyone feel valued and, and give disabled people the opportunity to participate fully in church life

Invite disabled people to get involved in church life

Churches might make assumptions about what people can or can’t do, without asking the individuals concerned. Don’t assume people are unable to do help due to their disability, and make sure to ask in each instance. Using our God-given gifts is so important and it helps people to feel that they belong as part of the church community.

Talk to people and learn from them

Whether that be families, disabled people themselves, or others on this journey, speak directly to people about their needs.

Welcoming Children with Disabilities

Around one in 20 children in the UK have a disability, and one in five have additional needs. This means there are children with disabilities in our parishes and communities, and often within our own households. Church can feel like a daunting place for families who include children with disabilities/additional needs, but there are lots of things you can do to make your church feel like a safe, welcoming environment.

Be child-friendly: Ensure your space is inviting for all children. A dedicated children’s area with colourful elements and soft spaces can signal inclusivity.
Highlight accessibility online: Many families will check your church’s website before attending. Clearly state that you welcome all children, and provide details of any special provisions available.
Provide clear service information: Brief descriptions of services and their duration can help families prepare and reduce uncertainty.
Be kind and understanding: Ensure your congregation’s attitude is one of acceptance, with ongoing training and support where needed.
Welcome the whole family: Greet every member of the family, not just the child with additional needs. Include siblings, carers, and parents, as everyone’s experience matters.
Communicate changes in advance: Children with additional needs often struggle with unexpected changes. If something is going to change, whether it’s the service style, timing, or special events, inform families beforehand to allow for preparation.
Ask for feedback: The best way to improve accessibility is to ask the families directly. Simple adjustments, such as using different coloured paper for services or providing a quiet space, can make a significant difference.
Accessible facilities: Ensure disabled toilets are free of clutter and accessible. Use clear signage, and consider providing a space with a large changing mat or, if possible, installing a facility for older children who need assistance.

By making these adjustments, we can ensure our churches are a welcoming space for all families.

Disability and Vocations

If you would like a conversation about fulfilling your Christian vocation, please speak to a member of the Vocations Team.

Ministry Stories

Christians from Greater Manchester and Rossendale who live with different disabilities share their personal experiences and the ways they are fulfilling their vocations. Each contributor has something to say about how people who have experience of living with a disability can flourish in the Church.

Joan Needham shares how provisions made by her church have allowed her to participate fully in services and undertake ministry training, despite her hearing loss.

Revd Chich Hewitt is a retired priest who lost his sight when he was 63. Here he discusses the accessibility equipment and technology that helped him continue to take services.

Revd Hilary Shedlock has chronic pain, an invisible disability, and details the adjustments made by her university and the church where she is OLM which help her fulfil her role while still prioritising her health.

Revd Helen Tyler shares her experience of receiving a dyslexia diagnosis in her twenties, the help and support she received when undertaking her curacy training, and how she learned to manage her dyslexia, even using it to her advantage.

Grants

As of September 2024, our parishes have been able to apply for Disability Project Parish Grants to improve their accessibility and inclusion for those who are deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent. This scheme is initially for parishes in northern dioceses, but this may be expanded in later years.

Parishes can apply for funding for small projects with a grant of up to £5000.

Ideas for projects might include implementing a new supportive group for disabled people, improving signage and imagery with inclusivity in mind, enabling a dementia-friendly church, or perhaps training for staff, volunteers and congregations.

You can find criteria, application information and ideas at the links below:

Criteria for funding

Small Project ideas

Guidance on completing an application form

Application form

Please submit any completed applications, questions or queries, to robchilton@manchester.anglican.org.

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Resources

Additional Needs

Mencap – the voice of learning disability.
The Additional Needs Alliance – helping churches to better include and support children, young people and young adults with additional needs or disabilities. Support, training and information for families and churches to make inclusion a reality can be found here.
Books beyond words – Picture books for all ages and all abilities, to help people process experiences, feelings and emotions. The series includes an excellent book on ‘Going to Church'.

Autism

The National Autistic Society – Information and guidance for autistic people and their families. Includes guidance for places of worship.
This Autism blog by Ann Memmott provides insights, research and ideas regarding church, safeguarding and intersectionality.
How to Include Autistic Children and Young People in Church: Creating a Place of Belonging and Spiritual Development for All (2021). Mark Arnold, Grove Books

ADHD

AADD-UK. – A website by and for ADHD adults. Research, resources, local support groups and a lively forum.
ADHD UK. – ADHD-led resources and research, particularly strong on guidance re work, Access to Work and PIP applications

Deaf and Hearing loss

BSL Church Worship Facebook Group
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID)
Open Ears – Support and events for hard of hearing and Deaf people.
Deaf awareness training video from Through the Roof – This informative video featuring Neil Robinson shares useful information about welcoming and communicating with Deaf people in your church.

Useful links for finding BSL interpreters:

The National Register of Communication Professionals with Deaf and Deafblind people: www.nrcpd.org.uk

The Association of Sign Language Interpreters: www.asli.org.uk

Dementia

Becoming a dementia-friendly church.pdf – A free-to-use resource pack from ‘Churches Together in Greater Bristol’ offering a strategic approach to becoming a more dementia-friendly church.
Memory Bridge – resources to encourage the creation of meaningful relationships with people with dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society – united against dementia.
Dementia Friendly Church – a UK project run by The Prama Foundation which helps churches to become dementia friendly.

Down's syndrome toolkit

Valuing people with Down's syndrome toolkit – The Church of England has created this toolkit to welcome people with Down's syndrome and provide information for church leaders, church workers and chaplains to give them a better understanding of issues relevant to people with Down's syndrome.

Dyscalculia

The Dyscalculia Association – Resources and support for children and adults
British Dyslexia Association guidance about Dyscalculia

Dyslexia

Dyslexia-friendly churches guide – A guide to help churches better include dyslexic adults.
The British Dyslexia Association – Support for those with dyslexia and useful information to help make all aspects of an organisation more accessible. This includes a useful downloadable resource guide to producing dyslexia-friendly printed material.

Dyspraxia

Dyspraxic Adults – Forum for dyspraxic adults, resources, guides to support etc.

Mental Health

The Church of England mental health resources – Including 13 podcast reflections to support and improve mental health.
Mind – Provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health concern: www.mind.org.uk
The Mental Health Foundation
Rethink Mental Illness – Advice, support and information for those affected by mental illness.
The Sanctuary Course is a free small-group resource designed to reduce stigma, raise awareness, and engage communities in meaningful conversations about mental health and faith. Each session examines a key mental health topic, and the accompanying films feature insights from mental health professionals, church leaders, and theologians.
Kintsugi Hope – offering training and resourcing for churches to run ‘Kintsugi Hope’ groups that address mental health and wellbeing.

Neurodivergence

A Beginner’s Guide to Neurodiversity – A short article by Suzanne Comberousse.
The National Autistic Society – includes guidance for places of worship.

Physical Disability

Through the Roof is a Christian disability charity that changes the lives of disabled people around the world, and helps others to change lives too. They do this in three ways:

Freedom – bringing the gift of a wheelchair or mobility aid and sharing the Gospel with disabled people in developing countries
Friendship – blessing disabled people with Christian friends through being part of our groups, holidays and Retreats
Faith – building our network of Roofbreakers and advocates through training and resources to ensure disabled people can belong and contribute.

Shaftesbury is a disability charity that connects people with their communities and works to build a fairer more connected society. They work with people in the community and in residential care and are concerned with most forms of disability including physical disability.

Sight Loss

It is important that church members and leaders make their spaces accessible to the visually impaired, and are aware of how to relate to people with eyesight loss.

Torch Trust, a Christian organisation working with and for the visually impaired, has developed a program entitled Sight Loss Friendly Church, to help churches and groups to attain this awareness.
Henshaws supports people living with sight loss and a range of disabilities to achieve their ambitions and go beyond expectations.
Royal National Institute of Blind People
The Xavier Society for the Blind – providing books and liturgical material in braille and audio.

Tourette Syndrome

Tourettes Action – Organisation which provides resources, a helpline and support.