The goal is not to avoid falling or needing help. The goal is to be seen, asked, heard, believed, valued as we are, allowed to exist in these exact bodies, invited to the party, and encouraged to dance however we want to.
– Rebekah Taussig, Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body

• Do I see and value race, culture, and disability and how they form positive self-identities?
• Do I promote and develop social-emotional competence, color awareness, and social justice? If so, how?
• Are books, materials, and toys selected that reflect diversity in race and disability featured and highlighted in my classroom?
• Are my classroom instruction and activities aimed to be reflective of the diverse identities and abilities of students?

LaShorage Shaffer invites us to reflect on these questions in the article “Elevating Diversity and Disability in Children’s Literature,” in the most recent issue of Exchange magazine. Shaffer writes, “The availability of diversity in children’s books is not keeping pace with the use of children’s literature as a common and standard tool to engage children in their understanding of who they are and where they can belong in the world around them.” Shaffer notes just 3% of children’s books portray children with disabilities and finding quality books with positive portrayals of children reflecting our wide range of diversity and identities is challenging.

Thankfully, Shaffer also offers guidance, especially for choosing books that:

• Mirror positive identity across race, disability, gender, age, and other societal attributes.
• Have authors or illustrators that are people of color, have a disability, or lived experience that adds to the cultural and identity perspective.

Shaffer concludes, “Educators have the opportunity to create learning environments that are safe and secure and promote a sense of belonging for every child…Children are received and perceived more positively when all children are exposed to the benefits and gifts of children of differing abilities, identities, and backgrounds.”

Join the Conversation! Meet Shaffer, Martina B. Albright, Jeremy Aron, and Michele Hemenway Pullen in a live conversation this Thursday. Register now for our free Engaging Exchange to talk with these authors and celebrate the summer issue!