Going to Church
Sheila Hollins, John Swinton and
Katie Carpenter
illustrated by Lucy Bergonzi
Beyond Words
London
Who is this book for?
This book is for anyone who finds pictures easier to understand than words.
People with intellectual disabilities are currently the main group of people finding the book useful. In the UK we talk about someone having a ‘learning disability’, or sometimes ‘learning difficulty’. ‘Intellectual disability’ or ‘developmental disability’ are the terms that people use in other parts of the world.
Someone with an intellectual disability may find it hard to understand new or complex information and to learn new skills. They may need support to live as independently as they choose. Their condition will have started before adulthood and have a lasting impact on their life.
Having an intellectual disability does not mean that a person is not capable of understanding the advice, support or treatment they are given. Many people will be able to understand a situation more easily and make good decisions with the help of the pictures in this book. Some may benefit from just one or two well-chosen pictures. Others will need extra time and support to understand information, whether presented in simplified language or non-verbally.
People with intellectual disabilities have helped to develop each of the books in the Beyond Words series.
Other people will find the picture stories in Books Beyond Words useful too:
people with other cognitive or communication difficulties, such as dementia
people who have difficulty with reading, including some Deaf people
people who do not use the language of the country where they are living.
Going to Church
Belonging to a community reduces isolation, gives people meaning and purpose, and can equip people to contribute more fully. To belong to a community means that people recognise you for who you are, care for you and miss you when you are not there.
Going to Church can support people to explore aspects of a church community, and to decide if they want to be part of it. It will also help a church community actively consider how to reduce the barriers to participation that some members of society face. When read together by church members, with and without learning disabilities, this story will deepen understanding of people’s experiences, the issues that they can encounter in church, and some of the ways in which we can work together to create stronger communities.
The Books Beyond Words series
Professor the Baroness Hollins and her team have spent many years working with people who find pictures easier to understand than words, and have learnt a lot about what is important to them. Books Beyond Words are the result of careful development with the help of the people who read the books, and with family, supporters and professional experts.
How to read Going to Church
This is a story for people who find pictures easier to understand than words. It is not necessary to be able to read any words at all.
1 Some people are not used to reading books. Start at the beginning and read the story in each picture. Encourage the reader to hold the book themselves and to turn the pages at their own pace.
2 Whether you are reading the book with one person or with a group, encourage them to tell the story in their own words. You will discover what each person thinks