Disability Representation in Children’s Literature, ft: Jessica Parham

Disability Representation in Children’s Literature, ft: Jessica Parham

The world of children’s books is a whimsical, entertaining, and exciting place for children everywhere. However, they’re also extremely useful for helping children understand, and facilitate discussion regarding, complex subjects. Children are extremely impressionable and curious, so it is important to have this type of dialogue with them early on. Children respond best to books that feature characters similar to them. They like to feel represented in the stories that they read. In the 2019 Scholastic Reading Report, children ages 6–17 cite “characters that are similar to me” as being one of the top 3 types of characters they want in books. However, children with disabilities are a group that is unfortunately under-represented in children’s literature.

While the representation of disabled people is criminally low in children’s literature, it is on the rise. According to the 2019 Scholastic Reading Report, the desire from parents for differently abled characters in children’s literature rose by 7% between 2016 and 2018. As a result, more authors are deciding to include characters who are disabled. This is good for increasing exposure, but it needs to be handled carefully. There are inherent biases that reinforce negative stereotypes about disabled people in these books. This increase in representation can only be helpful if these inherent biases are removed. Unfortunately, a large number of children’s books unintentionally reinforce negative stereotypes about disabled individuals. “Just as children’s texts have the potential for creating change in attitudes about disability, they also have the potential for preserving and reflecting negative cultural attitudes” (Donna Adomat, 2014). Children are extremely impressionable, so being inclusive isn’t enough. The literature they are exposed to needs to paint disabilities in a light different from the stereotypes they may already be familiar with.

At Start Lighthouse, we strive to provide children with access to culturally diverse literature that serve as mirrors and windows to the world. The subject of disabilities is certainly no exception. That’s why we have included Jessica Parham’s “Good To Be Me” in Start Lighthouse’s library.

I spoke with Jessica to gain further insight into the importance of disability representation in children. Her primary inspiration for writing “Good to be Me” were her children. In her family, the central method for learning is through reading. When her children started asking questions about people with disabilities, she naturally looked for a book that could facilitate a discussion. However, the only books related to disabilities that Jessica could find involved authors asserting their opinion rather than promoting an open dialogue. That’s why Jessica decided to write her own children’s book.

In “Good To Be Me”, Jessica avoids the reinforcement of negative stereotypes when representing disabled children. She doesn’t explain the differences. Explaining the disability is definitely important for understanding but it serves a secondary purpose of highlighting what makes them different from us. This allows the kids to ask the questions that they have and get the explanation that way. It also allows the kids in the story to just be kids regardless of their disabilities. The complexity in “Good to be Me” comes from its vagueness. It intentionally leaves room for parents and teachers to have these complex discussions with children, and for children to ask questions. That is why Jessica Parham’s “Good to be Me” is so important. It finally allows disabled children to see themselves in a story as what they truly are. Just a kid, who happens to be disabled, having fun just like any other kid.