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Dear God...
“Hardly anyone can ever find God because God is right at the end of your mind after all the background thoughts are gone.”
Maisie Satchwell-Hust

Books Beyond Words
A new picture Book: Going to Church
Our Progress

Since the project began a year ago, we have created a picture story, which has been checked by an Advisory Group of 20, including experts with and without learning disabilities in the field of faith and disability from a range of denominations.

The checked and amended picture story was trialled in September and October this year with 145 individuals in reading groups and faith groups. The Advisory Group have reviewed all these different voices and readings, considering what changes are needed for the book to work as well as possible for as many people as possible. The final set of images, with changes, is now in production.
 
The Advisory Group and trialling stage have a big impact on the context of the story and pictures:

An example of how the Advisory Group influenced the story is the change from pews to individual chairs for a more accessible environment (pictures shown).

An example of a change that will be made following the trialling is due to a misreading of the attached picture, in which many people saw the two women in the background as playing table football. The Advisory Group discussed whether to remove it altogether, but feedback from people who understood the candle-lighting well showed that the process of lighting a candle to remember or think of a loved one was very meaningful and important to them. The Advisory Group accordingly have decided to keep it, but advised that the positioning of the two women be altered so they are not facing each other across the stand, and that the candles be made clearer. (Picture shown.)

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Lighting Candles
 

 
 

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Picture with Pews
 

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Changes made after consultation
with the advisory group.