5th October 2008 is Disability Sunday

- an opportunity to encourage your church to think about the needs of blind, partially sighted and other disabled people.

Perhaps the best way of doing that is to arrange for a disabled person to play a part in a service.

It's also a good idea to include something in the service that affirms that disabled people are truely welcome and included within the life of your church, or something that helps your congregation to better understand disabled people.

The sermon could be on the subject of Biblical teaching on disability. We have prepared a Sermon outline called "Who's Disabled?" which can be downloaded

For Disability Sunday back in 2006 the Anglican Church selected some relevant Bible passages in its lectionary. To see these with hints as to how they could be linked to a disability related theme then click here.

Resources to Download (in MS-Word format)

Sermon Outline: Who's Disabled?

Word Search

Prayers for Disability Sunday

Prayer for Blind People worldwide

Participatory Poem

Quiz: Phrases about sight to complete

For more ideas click here and you will be routed to the Disability Sunday website.

Remember - Church can be a difficult experience for blind and partially sighted people. Within the first few minutes of arriving for a church service we are offered a hymn or song book, a Bible, maybe a prayer book or order of service and often a newsletter. When the service starts it's increasingly likely we'll be told to look at a screen for song words or information. Call or email Torch for a copy of A Clearer Vision, our booklet about including blind and partially sighted people in the life of the church for guidance and helpful tips.

For more information or guidance on the use of resources, call David Palmer at Torch House on 01858 438260 or email: DavidP@torchtrust.org