Celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday – resources for churches

Awareness charity Through the Roof asks ‘could your church do more to include disabled people and raise awareness?’ One way to start is by celebrating Disability Awareness Sunday, to help ensure disabled people can fully belong and contribute as equal members of God’s family.

Through the Roof is a registered charity that aims to ‘transform lives through Jesus with disabled people’. The charity takes its name from the Bible account where some men literally break through the roof to help their disabled friend meet Jesus (Luke 5).

The charity says that the last recorded survey (2004) suggests 90–95% of disabled people have never heard the gospel. And, in the UK, there are 14.6 million disabled people who need to know churches are supportive places, sharing God’s love.

In July 2022, the Church of England’s General Synod backed a motion affirming disabled people in the life and ministry of the Church, which included better data collection, more inclusive language during services, and more disabled people working within the Church.

Through the Roof has prepared a resource pack to help churches hold a Disability Awareness day, which includes:

• Disability Awareness Sunday service ideas
• suggested bible reading
• sermon ideas
• prayers
• children/youth activities
• supporting videos.

If you’ve not yet signed up, there’s still time. You can hold the service on any date to suit you, or join with Through the Roof and mark it on Sunday 18 September.

Visit: “I feel alive! Valued for the disabled person I am” – Celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday to find out more and order your pack. You can also let visitors know your church is accessible on the Facilities tab on your A Church Near You web page.