One body, many parts Disability Awareness Sunday 27th September
Belonging without Barriers: a must-read new book
Triona shares insights for DAS 2026
In 1 Corinthians chapter 12( NIrV), verse 12 tells us“ There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ.”
This powerful message is to be the theme of our 2026 Disability Awareness Sunday,‘ One body, many parts’ and we are delighted to be featuring Triona Brading, a young autistic Christian who is one of the authors of the new book‘ Belonging without Barriers’( see below).
Triona has already been a huge blessing to Through the Roof in sharing her experience and expertise by creating short videos about supporting autistic individuals in our churches, and understanding autistic meltdowns and shutdowns( available on our YouTube channel @ TTRChangesLives).
Triona is a Roofbreaker with Through the Roof and also a ministry trainee, with a particular focus on accessibility. She is also the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities co-ordinator for the annual REVIVE festival for Co-Mission churches.
So put Disability Awareness Sunday 2026 in your church calendar: Sunday 27th September. We very much look forward to the message that Triona has to share with us, and to exploring together the important theme of‘ One body, many parts’. A new free DAS resource on this theme will be available soon on the TTR website!
Belonging is what the human heart yearns for. We all long to know we’ re included and valued for who we are.‘ Belonging Without Barriers’ is a much-needed new book that seeks to open vital conversations in the UK Church about disability inclusion as a gospel issue. As our CEO Tim Wood writes in the Foreword, this is“ not just another resource on inclusion; it is a call to action. Combining rich theological reflection with practical strategies, it is invaluable for leaders, Trustees, children’ s and youth workers, and anyone involved in ministry.”
The book has discussion questions throughout and is co-authored by Triona Brading, an autistic Roofbreaker who works in SEND children’ s ministry. Her co-authors are Lois Bunyan who works in disability arts, and Claire Wood, a teacher. Together, they bring professional insight and offer a compelling blend of lived experience, theology, and practice.
Part 1 explores what scripture teaches about inclusion, dignity, and interdependence – one of Through the Roof’ s core values. Accessibility is shown to be a theological issue: the Church is the Body of Christ, and disabled people are indispensable within it( 1 Corinthians 12).
Part 2 turns theology into action, offering practical tools such as access checklists, multi-sensory ideas, and strategies for supporting a range of different additional needs, both physical and neurological. Personal stories throughout the book share both the joy of inclusion and the pain of exclusion. Belonging Without Barriers is available in standard print format from the TTR shop and other online retailers. Please help spread the word, so together we can build communities without barriers – places of true belonging where all God’ s people can flourish.
Vital Link Spring 2026 | www. throughtheroof. org