Disability Working Group
Tio Conference: Honouring the Indispensable
The Church of Ireland’s Working Group on Disability wishes to highlight the Tio Conference – Honouring the Indispensible – this weekend at Belfast Bible College: Friday 10th June and Saturday, 11th June.
The keynote speaker, Jeff McNair, is a Professor of Special Education at Calfornia Baptist University where he has worked for 26 years.
Other key speakers include Dr Jill Harshaw (Belfast) whose work on spirituality and profound intellectual disability will be published next month. The Tio team also includes Donna Jennings, Rachael Mackarel, Dr Ivan Bankhead and Dr Paul Coulter – each of whom will deliver papers and presentations.
In addition to plenary sessions, there are workshops and seminars on parenting, pastoral support, music and autism, Down’s syndrome, eugenics and bio–ethics. The conference is designed for academics and students, church and community leaders, parents and carers, and professionals working in the context of disability.
Full information on the conference, including an online booking form, is available at: www.belfastbiblecollege.com/tio-conference-2016
Tio is a Centre for Intellectual Disability Theology and Ministry was launched last autumn and is the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland.
It seeks to be a pioneer in the development of accessible theology courses for people with intellectual disabilities, a resource for and training churches and leaders, students and faith communities, a promoter of innovative research, a hub for connecting people, ideas and organisations, and a theological voice on intellectual disability.