Representations of Disability in Picturebooks

Issues of Inclusivity and Literary Quality

Bibliographic Data

ID22044252
AuthorsAmanda Niland (0000-0003-2003-9140, The University of Sydney, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume16
Issue5
Pages798
Publication date2026-05-19
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci16050798
OpenAlexW7162321919
LanguageEN
References cited37

Children need picturebooks that represent the diversity of their lives. Such books provide opportunities for all children, regardless of differences, to see themselves and their lives reflected in the pages. When children encounter books they can both enjoy and identify with, they are more likely to develop a love of reading. Recognition of the importance of this has led to the publication of a growing number of picturebooks containing characters of colour, or who are gender-diverse or disabled. While many of these have the literary qualities that inspire young children’s imaginations as well as being inclusive, this is not always the case with picturebooks portraying disability. This research sought to build on existing analytical studies of inclusivity in picturebooks, drawing from frameworks developed by other researchers—in particular, the Strong Stories framework. The analytical framework used also included criteria to evaluate the literary qualities that make picturebooks imaginative and engaging for young children. The picturebooks portraying disability studied in this research came from recommendation lists of five literary or disability advocacy not-for-profit organisations. A qualitative content analysis was conducted, informed by an understanding of literacy as a social practice, with picturebooks as reflectors of ideology and social models of disability. Findings revealed that not all the recommended books were inclusive, and the majority lacked the literary qualities that make children reach for a book over and over. This research sheds light on the need for more picturebooks that inclusively and imaginatively portray disability

Content analysis · Ideology · Literacy · Narrative · Picture books · Qualitative research · Disability Rights and Representation · Gender Studies in Language · Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport

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Open DOIOpen Access