I was recently asked the well-meaning question, ‘Why aren’t there any kids books by disabled authors?’
My reaction was of bemusement – my own children’s bookshelves beg to differ, bursting at the seams with fantastic disabled kidlit, such as James Catchpole’s What Happened To You? (illustrated by Karen George), Rosie Jones’ Edie Eckhart series, Jen Campbell’s Marceline, Defender of the Sea and Keah Brown’s Sam’s Super Seats (illustrated by Sharee Miller), Tiffany Hammond’s A Day With No Words (illustrated by Kate Cosgrove), Elle McNicoll’s A Kind of Spark and Cara Mailey’s I Got This. I could go on.
In fact, I replied, there are many disabled authors writing fantastic kids’ books. However, it is true that we’re underrepresented in publishing, and that’s particularly noticeable in the non-fiction space. According to a Lee & Low 2019 Diversity Baseline Survey, only 11% of people in publishing identified as having a disability, and given that one in five working people are classed as disabled, the disparity is clear.
When I came up with the idea for my middle-grade non-fiction book How to Be Disabled and Proud (or at least kinda sorta okay with it), I was honestly pretty stunned that nobody else had beaten me to it. What do you mean there are no books for disabled kids hitting puberty, that are about being comfortable with your disabled identity?
My book is a guide for disabled children, but it’s equally (if not more so) important that non-disabled kids read it. Why, you ask? Well, without further ado, here are my top three reasons why every kid should have non-fiction books about disability and by disabled authors on their shelves (including mine!)
1. Feeding curiosity
Most kids are naturally incredibly curious about disability, especially if they have no experience of it. As someone with a very apparent disability, I am stared at loads by kids in the street, and even at the school gates. The emboldened ones ask me a zillion questions about how and why I am the way I am. Others are silently curious. Quite frankly, I don’t always want to answer: I’m tired or I’m rushing, and to be honest, I’m not a museum exhibit.
But it’s important as educators that we don’t shut down kids’ curiosity. It’s our role to help children understand that disability is nothing to be ashamed or scared of, and that just because disabled people might look or behave a bit differently to what they’re used to, doesn’t mean we aren’t cool or someone they shouldn’t hang out with (and maybe, actually, children don’t need to know why someone is the way they are – they just need to have the understanding that people are different, and that’s OK!).
Whether you’re a teacher, librarian or parent/carer, kids will look to you for that reassurance. If there are books about disability on the shelves, this will prompt some of those conversations to come up.
You might not always have the answers, you might not always say the right things, and that’s absolutely fine. Showing kids a willingness to talk and to mess up and learn alongside them removes the stigma surrounding conversations about disability and teaches them that being disabled is nothing to be ashamed of.
2. Promoting empathy
As children grow up, they gradually learn that some people experience life very differently to them. We can help that process along by exposing them to a rich variety of reading materials – books about and written by disabled authors, and authors of other marginalised identities too.
Introducing books about things children have no direct experience of helps them to understand that other people experience issues they don’t. Understanding things like ableism and inaccessibility helps promote a sense of empathy (not to be confused for sympathy – no thanks, we don’t need anyone’s pity). Kids start to see things from a disabled person’s perspective and care about those issues, which is great, because it means they care about us.
3. Joining the ranks
Okay, so we’ve educated the kids, and they are concerned about the barriers disabled people face in society. Now, we need to show them how to do something about it. In How to Be Disabled and Proud (or at least kinda sorta okay with it) I discuss how to stand up for your rights as a disabled kid, and there’s a lot in there that is applicable to non-disabled kids too.
Disabled people can’t act alone – we need the support of non-disabled people to help us achieve a fairer society for all. Having books like mine on your shelf, which introduce the concepts of disability rights and activism, even at a young age, can be such a great way to start talking to the kids in your life about what they can do to support the disabled community. It helps kids see that we all have a part to play in making the world fairer and just for everyone.
The more kids we get reading non-fiction books about disability, the more demand there will be for them. It starts with a bookshelf. What’s on yours?
How To Be Disabled and Proud (or at least kinda sorta okay with it) by Cathy Reay, illustrated by Jaleel Hudson, is out now.
