The Church is only slowly coming to realise that the presence of disabled people in our midst raises not only pastoral questions, but issues of what ‘living fully’ means for everyone, including those with disabilities

All of us are equal in the eyes of God, but it sometimes seems that some are more equal than others in the eyes of the world. How schools meet their equality objectives has been affected by recent disability legislation. This is now a mainstream issue of social awareness and one of great relevance in order to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation of people who have disabilities.  

John McCorkell is an adviser who visits schools all over the UK. Due to a lack of oxygen when he was born, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was only six months old. His entire right side is affected. He cannot walk without the aid of sticks or he has to use a wheelchair and his speech is impaired, but he has not allowed these disabilities to stop him from leading an independent and fulfilling life.

When he visits a school, John normally leads a whole school assembly in which he explains to the children the nature of his disabilities, the problems he has faced and the successes he has achieved in overcoming them (including playing wheelchair basketball and gaining two university degrees).