Disabilities and Additional Needs
Welcome to the Diocese of Exeter disability and additional needs page. Here you should find lots of useful information and resources.
Contact
Please do get in touch with Claire Reynolds, our Disability and Additional Needs Advisor (voluntary) via email or phone: 07858 313677. Claire is happy to speak with you whatever questions or queries you may have about disability, additional needs, accessibility and inclusion. Equally, if you are aware of organisations not listed here, please do get in touch with her.
Have you got questions about changes to a church building to make it more accessible? Contact Nigel Pratt via email or phone: 01392 294944.
Have you identified a person in your congregation with a disability or additional need(s), and has a calling to ministry? Please contact Hannah Mears, our Vocations Development Officer, via email and visit our vocations page to find out more.
The Church of England awards £2.4 million to boost participation of Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people
The Church of England has awarded £2.4 million to fund a series of measures aimed at boosting the participation of Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in parish life, from encouraging vocations to the priesthood to grants for improved access to buildings. Under plans over the next three years, the funds will back projects including lay and ordained vocations events and leadership programmes. Click here to read the full news story on the Church of England website.
Claire Reynolds, Exeter Diocese Disabilities and additional needs advisor said “I’m very excited about this new funding to encourage greater participation from people with disabilities and additional needs. Church communities are encouraged to consider this, if they are considering embarking on projects that enhance access and participation or enable work with disabled people or those with additional needs”.
Resources
Count Everyone In exists to encourage, advise, and support churches to welcome and be accessible for adults with disabilities and additional needs. They have a wealth of resources as well as offering good quality training.
Urban Saints offer training for those looking to make children’s and youth work more accessible, with their “All Inclusive?” training sessions. These sessions were developed in house by their additional needs ministry director Mark Arnold.
The Additional Needs Alliance helps churches to include, support, and create places of belonging for and spiritually grow children, young people and young adults with additional needs or disabilities.
Through the Roof is a Christian charity that seeks to change the lives of disabled people around the world, and looks to make churches more accessible through its network of “Roofbreakers”. We would encourage you to join in with this network. They have collated a useful list of possible sources for funding if you are planning to make disability related improvements to a church building.
Devon Deaf Church are Deaf Christians that work together to provide worship, bible study and fellowship for Sign Language users across Devon.
The Torch Trust: exists to enable people with sight loss to discover Christian faith and lead fulfilling Christian lives. The Torch Trust provides Christian resources and activities for blind and partially sighted people worldwide.
Barrier-free Belonging: The Church of England has its own web page dedicated to enabling worship for all. Check it out here:
On this web page you’ll find loads of useful resources, and if your church is looking to carry out a barrier free audit, do have a look at “A Place to Belong”
Livability: More Than Welcome is a resource from Livability to guide your church in how to deepen relationships with people with disabilities and build a church where everyone belongs. Based on the idea of a journey – the resource will help your church go through three important stages, from a place of welcome, to inclusion, to participation.
