Disability bias brought to book

'In the Picture' is a three-year project targeting inequality in children's literature by introducing young disabled characters in mainstream books.

Even though there are 60,000 young disabled children in the UK, people with a disability are rarely represented in books.

Scope says that this reinforces their sense of exclusion and denies them valuable opportunities to learn about themselves and their disability, which can be frustrating for both the children and their parents.

In 2003 a mini-survey by Scope of 35 families with disabled children found that all expressed frustration about the lack of pictures of disabled children in children's literature.

One parent told the survey, 'If I can't find images of disabled children in the books that my child reads every day, who are her role models?'

Scope will work with illustrators, writers and publishers to include fictional disabled characters playing, learning and having adventures alongside non-disabled characters. It is hoped that this will help to raise the self-esteem of disabled children.

Susan Clow, Scope's early years co-ordinator, said, 'At the moment disabled children are invisible. Although people from ethnic groups are increasingly represented in literature, the inclusion of disabled people is long overdue.

'It is very important for disabled children to be able to pick up a book and see themselves illustrated as part of society. This would jump-start the lives of both young disabled children and their families,' she said.

Ms Clow added that the omission of disabled characters from books also affected the attitudes of non-disabled children.

Research has found that young children begin to form prejudices by the age of three, she said, so it is essential that non-disabled children become familiar with images of disabled children at an early age if they are to be accepting of them.

As well as working with publishers, Scope will run story workshops for disabled children and their parents so that they can write stories of their own.

A website will be created to provide information for disabled children and their families, non-disabled children, teachers and other disability organisations.

Scope has already received 350,488 from the Big Lottery Fund for 'In the Picture'. An additional 46,000 in funding needs to be secured before the project can begin in December.