Disrupting ableism: Strengths-based representations of disability in children’s picture books

Abstract

Children’s literature is a powerful influence on the social construction of perceptions and narratives, and it is critically important that all children see themselves represented in the books in their classrooms. However, strength-based views of characters with a disability are rare in children’s picture books, meaning that children with a disability may not see themselves reflected in the books on their classroom shelves. Even worse, books may reinforce limiting, ableist stereotypes and myths about people with disabilities and their lives. Representing characters with disabilities in strength-based ways in children’s literature, where “the person’s own abilities and strengths are explicitly considered [and] empowerment of the person has a high priority”, could educate able-bodied students about disability, promote attitudes of acceptance and strengthen perceptions of self-worth among students with disabilities as well as their typically-developing peers. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of 34 exemplar picture books featuring a main character with a disability. Low occurrence disabilities such as visual impairment were more frequently represented than high incidence disabilities such as a specific learning disability, but the main characters in our highest rated books modelled self-awareness, agency and acceptance. These books disrupted ableist myths about disability and provided the reader with tools to push back against both implicit and explicit stereotyping, teasing and bullying. By incorporating children’s picture books with strength-based representations of disability into research and teaching for primary classroom literacy instruction, we can reinforce valuable social emotional skills that foreground respect for the humanity and dignity of all students.

Fostering Hope with Children's Literature

“…We create space for critical discussions within the reality of historical biases constraints that have far too often marginalized many (Campano et al, 2020). We aim to examine these contexts and provide counternarratives and pathways to navigate these realities by inviting parents, elders, and communities into our discussions of hope (Hayden & Prince, 2020).…”

“…We view children's literature as encompassing a broad categorization of texts (including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other expanded notions of traditional text). Children's literature is a powerful medium in the “social construction of perceptions and narratives” (Hayden & Prince, 2020, p. 1). Readers can see the world in which they live reflected in nonfiction as it conveys “information about the natural and social world” (Duke & Bennett‐Armistead, 2003, p. 22).…”

Intensely Original

“…Grey responds no, it will instead, make the enemy easily "underestimate" Harper, as he and Grey did early in the story (p. 199). By referencing the enemy's underestimation, Kemmerer openly disrupts the ableist views by "recognizing the strengths and contributions of people with disabilities" (Hayden & Prince, 2020). Harper's characterization as a strong and…”

Repositioning Disability in Children’s Picture Books Through Classroom Read-Alouds

“…only two-Emmanuel's Dream:The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah(Thompson, 2015) and My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay (Best, 2015)include racially or ethnically diverse protagonists. Content analyses have noted the lack of picture books that represent the intersection of ethnic, racial, and linguistic diversity with disability(Hayden & Prince, 2020;Crisp et al, 2016;Koss, 2015).Is the Characterization Strengths-Based?. When analyzing picture books for young children, teachers should look for depictions of self-advocacy and agency.…”

“…Children’s literature has the potential to raise awareness and initiate similar conversations about disability, pushing back on deficit, ableist notions (Emmerson et al, 2014). Bishop (1990, 2012) proposed that when students see protagonists who mirror their experiences or see protagonists who are different from themselves presented in ways that allow them to become immersed in other life experiences, their abilities to “see, understand, and value themselves and others” (Hayden & Prince, 2020, p. 3) are enhanced. Unfortunately, not many books feature protagonists with disabilities, (Pennell et al, 2018), and some available books reinforce ableist views of disability through text, illustrations, or characterizations (Kleekamp & Zapata, 2019).…”