Most people would agree that it is important that people with learning disabilities are supported to meet their spiritual needs. However, as Mike Foster explains, when it comes to putting this into practice there are attitudinal as well as physical barriers that must be overcome

THE ISSUES OF spirituality and religious practice and people with learning disabilities are often neglected and misunderstood. Part of the confusion relates to the difficulty in defining spirituality (Narayanasamy 1997). Murray and Zentner (1989) made a bold attempt when they wrote that spirituality is: ‘…a quality that goes beyond religious affiliation, that strives for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose.’ Narayanasamy (1997) gave a comprehensive overview of spirituality in a chapter entitled Spiritual Dimensions of Learning Disability, emphasising that people with learning disabilities are capable of expressing spiritual needs. Unfortunately, this chapter falls into the usual trap of generality. People with a learning disability undoubtedly have spiritual needs which are capable of being fulfilled but, at the end of the day, this process usually means doing something by way of religious practice. Therein lies the rub: taking Narayanasamy’s (1997) point that learning disabled people are able to express spiritual needs, how do we go about supporting people to meet those needs in practical terms?