Opinion: Children’s literature can enhance our understanding of disability
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How should disability be expressed through fiction?
Literature that depicts characters who are disabled has undergone a radical re shift in the past few decades.
Children’s books can be a perfect eye opener. This is often thanks to a first person narrative employed by the author. Even without this, however, works of fiction can be excellent teachers.
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Despite these huge advantages, in recent years claims have been made that there are not enough disabled characters in children’s literature. Those living with various impairments have expressed how, as children, they wanted to identify with figures in the books they read, like everyone else.
Not only does writing fiction about disability provide comfort to many handicapped individuals, but it also educates wider society. “Wonder” by RJ Palacio was an enormously successful book that sensitively informed children and adults about what it is like to struggle with physical disability on a daily basis. The book was praised for being informative and touching, evoking admiration without being over pitying.
In light of the sense of separation that disabled people feel even today from the rest of society, fiction is a powerful tool in bridging this gap.
When done correctly, children’s literature that does explore this issue is usually praised for having the capacity to speak to the younger generation directly about the need for love and acceptance.
But a huge responsibility is also involved. The representation must above all be honest and authentic.
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