Accessible Ways to Share the Joy of Easter

PUBLISHED - 24th March 2026

Here at Torch, we want to support blind and partially sighted people to grow in their faith, encountering Jesus Christ and thriving in Christian communities. With Easter fast approaching, we’re sharing ideas which you can share with your own churches and Christian groups to ensure visually impaired people can truly be part of this special time. Vicki Bryson explains all…

At Easter we celebrate the love of God and the significance of the cross for all of God’s people. In churches across the world a variety of services and events take place, often slightly different to a regular weekly service. This article explores a few areas to think about to make these services more accessible for those who are blind and partially sighted.

Lighting

Over Easter, services can take place at different times or in different lighting conditions e.g. sunrise services on Easter morning or Easter Vigils where darkness suddenly becomes light. It can be helpful to talk to those attending who are blind or partially sighted about any assistance they may need for these services, both in terms of guiding and also the size of text which is accessible, as this can vary in different lighting conditions.

Parades

For Palm Sunday parades or Good Friday walks of witness, it can be helpful to have additional volunteers available who are confident in guiding – particularly if the walk will follow an unfamiliar route.

Easter Egg Hunts

Churches may offer egg hunts over the Easter period and it is helpful when planning to think about accessibility for children who are blind or partially sighted. One way to support inclusion could be to create a tactile box or basket for an egg to be placed in before it is hidden, offering a child with sight loss a more accessible way to search. To make this even more inclusive, tactile covers could be used for all of the eggs giving all those involved a different way of searching.

Stations of the Cross

Some churches will use stations of the cross positioned around a church as part of their Holy Week worship. It can be helpful for those who are partially sighted to have a folder of enlarged photos of each station which they can use as they process around church. If the stations are tactile and in safe reach, it could be helpful to create an opportunity for someone with sight loss to spend time exploring each station before the devotional aspect begins. Another great option could be to have audio descriptions of each station provided by the leader as each one is introduced, or by a volunteer accompanying someone around.

Responses

As part of Easter services, there may be a different type of response that people are asked to make e.g. footwashing, placing a nail by a large cross, lighting a candle etc. It is helpful to think through how someone who is blind or partially sighted can get to the location of these activities and to talk to them about any assistance they may require.

Seekers courses

There are many fantastic seekers courses available for those who are exploring faith or who are new to faith and wanting to learn more. There are some easy ways that churches can make these accessible for those with sight loss. Many seekers courses, including Alpha and Christianity Explored, will use videos as part of each session. If there is someone who is blind or partially sighted in your group, do talk to them about how they would like these to be made accessible e.g. having a copy of the video they can watch in advance, a member of the team ‘audio describing’ anything shown on a screen, having an electronic tablet which can replicate the screen display in a more accessible format etc.

When considering the printed materials that other participants receive, Torch currently have resources for the following courses in various sizes of large print and braille:

Alpha: Why am I here? (participant guide); What do you think?

Christianity Explored: Christianity Explored Handbook

Pilgrim: All books available

Check out our study courses here eshop.torchtrust.org.uk/product-category/courses/ If you are running a course not listed here and would like printed materials enlarged, do get in touch and see if our transcription team can help.