Faith

Normally I would kick against such days calling them tokenistic and symbolic gestures to the point of being futile. However this is one, I believe, worth shouting about.

One in four people who live in the United Kingdom have a disability or know somebody with one... and unfortunately, though vast, this group is probably the most marginalised as far as faith is concerned.

BBC Tees' Mark Turnbull

Surprisingly Churches are ill-equipped and often un welcoming to people with disabilities.

Not only providing a ramp for a wheelchair, or space for a guide-dog, these are visible disabilities which can be fixed with a quick bit of re-adjustment on many occasions.

But, what about provision for those who are deaf, have mental disabilities, or are the invisibly disabled.

Jesus gave such a high priority to people with disabilities, I guess, even then there were so many of us.

Sadly our churches reflect societies' lack of understanding, not only of the issues which face this huge group of potential fellow-worshippers, but of care and concern to change matters.

I believe, as Christians, our top priority should be making our Churches inclusive.

We have a duty as people of faith to show disabled people that God cares about them and their needs.

Including people with disabilities does not have to be a burden, it can, in fact, be fun.

Go on accept the challenge. Invite a disabled person to your church.

Get to know the issues which affect people with disabilities and help them have a voice and remember, God responds to and uses disability in many different ways, some of which could benefit your part of his body on earth.