Nursery World - Opinion: In my view - Children in the picture

There are some 770,000 children with disabilities in the UK who, up until now, have had few role models in literature. A recent survey of families with disabled children at nursery revealed the children's frustration at the lack of images of them in books.

By identifying with the characters in stories, of course, young children learn about themselves and the world around them. So I've always felt that the more wide-ranging books for nursery children are, the better. Otherwise, as research shows, children as young as three can form prejudices against someone who is 'different'.

Illustrated books make a great impression on a young child's mind, and so they are very important. The absence of images of disabled children from illustrated books can increase the isolation that the youngest disabled children feel. It can affect the attitudes of non-disabled children, too.

Now, however, there is a great initiative that I'd love to share with those who haven't come across it yet. Called 'In the Picture', the scheme involves educators, writers, carers and illustrators, and aims to include more images of disability in young children's books.

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