A voice for the disabled

Sydney
6 April 2003

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A voice for the disabled

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A voice for the disabled

By Damir Govorcin

“Our Church can never be complete while people who are disabled are sidelined either by exclusion or by being seen just as recipients of the care of others,” says Franciscan friar John Pickering in a talk titled The Disabled: People with a Mission.

“To do either of these is to silence their witness.

“It may be that people who are disabled are the modern-day prophets sent by God with a message as valuable and as confronting as the message of the prophets of the Old Testament.

“It may also be true that we are treating them as the people of the Old Testament treated the prophets by refusing to allow them to deliver God’s message to us.”

Those words ring true for Kath Lloyd (pictured), who has lived with polio since she was 17 months old.

“I have been in a lot of pain all my life … I know nothing else,” says 78-year-old Kath.

“But I think I can put my disease to good use by helping others with disabilities.”

Kath, a parishioner at St Thomas Becket’s, Lewisham and a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society for more than 20 years, feels the disabled in the community are being neglected and she says that needs to change.

By speaking out, Kath is hoping to create more awareness about disabled people.

She is urging parishioners in the Sydney archdiocese to form a group in their local parish to help and support the disabled.

“Disabled people need a voice and I hope by speaking out things can start to change,” says Kath.

“People are frightened of people with disabilities and I don’t know why. We are all God’s children, and people with disabilities have so much to give and share with us.

“By forming a group in your local parish, it will allow parishioners to spend time with the disabled and get to know who they are.”

Anyone interested in setting up a group to help the disabled should call Kath Lloyd on 9560 7126.