Did you know that December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities? This observance was prompted by the United Nations beginning in 1992 to highlight and promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. As librarians, it is essential to highlight individuals with disabilities in our programs and our collections. However, it is also necessary to critically evaluate titles that are in your collection or that you are considering adding to the collection to ensure that they portray people with disabilities in an appropriate manner. Below, is a list of some ideas for evaluation from several different sources and further resources for deeper research.
- Evaluate words and illustrations for stereotypes: How are people with disabilities portrayed in this title? Are they infantilized or made to seem helpless? Is the character there to be pitied?
- Evaluate the characters: How is the person with disabilities represented? Are they integral to the story or a passive bystander? Do they have autonomy and decision making ability? Does the character with a disability contribute to the plot or story narrative?
- Evaluate the author and illustrator: Is there something in the author or illustrator’s background that would lend them to having an understanding of the “disability experience” of the character(s) in the story? Are they themselves part of the disability community? What are their qualifications?
- Check the publication date: Was the book published more than 10 years ago? If so, are there photos and illustrations inside that are current or are they outdated? Does the title hold up against current best practices for inclusive language and characters?
Further Resources
If you are interested in learning more about evaluating books that portray disabilities, you can check out the National Education Association’s Considerations for Selecting High-Quality Children’s Books That Include Disability Experiences. This checklist can help you evaluate titles that you are adding to your collection, or that might be considered for weeding. The Anti-Defamation League also has guiding questions and guidelines in their Evaluating Children’s Books That Address Disability document.
If you are looking for amazing disability representation that has been evaluated, I would recommend checking out the Schneider Family Book Award. Every year, this award is given to an author or illustrator for a book that “embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.”
This post addresses ALSC Core Competencies 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3
Featured image courtesy of author.
This post was written by LSUCTC committee member Annaliese Melvin. Annaliese (she/they) is a children’s librarian at a neighborhood library in Washington, D.C. Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved to the DC-area in 2020 to become a special education teacher after graduating with her bachelor’s from Arcadia University. In 2023, she graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science and transitioned into the library field. Annaliese currently works to bring more inclusive programming to DC Public Libraries for children of all ages. She is passionate about equity, inclusion, reading, and Philadelphia sports.