Evaluating Materials about Children with Disabilities

First of all, the material should meet the basic criteria for the high quality children’s literature.

The Stories
are interesting and entertaining and do not present the children as “special,” “different,” or strange
do not present people who “overcome” disability by hiding it
do not play on sympathy and sentimentality
represent the disability accurately
present the disability as only one important characteristic of the child
present realistic children facing realistic problems and learning to solve them
show children involved in life
show children with disabilities (and without) how they can change their actions and attitudes so that they don’t set up more barriers

Children
are presented as whole human beings
involved with others who have disabilities as well as with children who have no disabilities