Church ‘must do more to help the disabled’, says Archbishop

THE CHURCH of England needs to do more for those with disabilities and mental health problems, the Archbishop of Canterbury has admitted.

Justin Welby, spoke of how many of the Church’s 9,000 buildings are illequipped, with heritage protection trumping accessibility law.

During the interview with the Ouch podcast – made by the BBC’s disability team – he said: “I find it absolutely extraordinary that disability access comes second to heritage. I really find that bizarre.

“Well, that’s one way of saying we don’t care about you, isn’t it?”

He said his two daughters had “really brought it to the front of my mind” as Katharine, 32, has mental health problems and Ellie, 24, has learning disabilities.

The Archbishop, who is hosting a conference this month at Lambeth Palace on disability and inclusion, said “it doesn’t matter tuppence how someone worships”.

He said: “You do have to go through a process of educating people. Get rid of the frowns and the tuts.”

Katharine, who also has chronic fatigue syndrome, said she felt embarrassed at times when she has been unable to stand during services.

Meanwhile, Ellie, who also has dyspraxia, said she sits at the back of the church because she does not feel comfortable. Speaking publicly for the first time during the interview, she said: “They’re very friendly in my church, but sometimes I can feel a bit out of place there.” The Archbishop, who has had his own struggle at times with depression, also told how the death of his sevenmonth-old daughter, Johanna, in a car crash in 1983 and another of his children being critically ill a year later often led him to question his faith. He added: “There have been moments where it’s been a huge test. You read the Bible and life’s not simple.”