Representing Difference: Disability, Identity and Inclusion in Children’s Literature

The study examines how disability is represented in children’s literature published in and for the Indian context. Children’s literature plays an important role in shaping attitudes and beliefs, as it exposes young readers to ways of understanding difference, identity, social participation, and inclusion. Although previous research has explored children’s engagement with social issues such as gender, ethnicity and class, issues of disability have received relatively limited attention within the Indian context. The purpose of the study is to analyse how disability is portrayed in children’s literature and to understand the kinds of meanings about ability and difference that these narratives make available to young readers. The study employs qualitative content analysis of 15 English-language children’s literature, purposively selected for readers between eight and 12 years of age. The findings indicate that recent children’s literature shows an increasing effort to represent disability in inclusive ways. The analysed narratives challenge stereotypical assumptions and encourage a more nuanced understanding of difference and fairness. Overall, the study highlights the complex dimensions in which disability is constructed in Indian children’s literature.