The Bishop is pleased to announce the appointment of Emily Williams as the new Diocesan Disability Awareness Adviser.
Emily has written a short bio of introduction:
“My passion to see individuals with additional needs welcomed and included within their church families first started over 6 six years ago when I volunteered for the accessibility team at the New Wine United summer conference. In addition to this, I helped to pioneer, and have been part of the leadership team, for Our Place Hinckley – a group set up to support families of children with special educational needs to enable them to access the Bible – which has since planted into two further locations.
After discovering my passion for accessibility and inclusion I decided to return to studying and undertake a BA Hons degree in ‘Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion Studies’ at Wolverhampton University. I used my dissertation to research how effectively children with additional needs are included within the Christian church which highlighted lots of similarities in need and made me more determined to do all I can to make a difference. Whilst undertaking my degree I been voluntarily helping to facilitate inclusion in churches I was been attending and at events and holiday clubs.
I am passionate about helping churches to understand the value that inclusion can bring, not just to individuals but also to the entire church family. I have a desire to help churches to understand that absolutely everyone can have a relationship with God, and deserves to be given the opportunity to learn about and develop this.
I hope to offer churches in the diocese training opportunities, easily accessible resources, pastoral support and a point of contact for raising queries.”
Emily’s contact details are: emily.williams@leccofe.org