Disability and Accessibility

As regular readers of Rethinking Schools publications, we have benefited from many strategies for addressing the prejudices of racism, classism, and sexism. We wondered, however, about a parallel prejudice that rarely gets attention: ableism, or discrimination against people with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Using a set of 10 guiding questions we developed (Rethinking Schools 2009), we decided to explore ableist stereotypes in winners of the Caldecott Medal, which is awarded annually to “the most distinguished American picture book for children.” Caldecott winners are often endorsed by schools and libraries, and therefore purchased by many families. Unlike books intended for older audiences, picture books rely heavily on visual art to convey meaning. Children can read these picture books on their own; they don’t necessarily have meanings mediated by an adult. Books with the Caldecott seal may provide children with their first impressions of our diverse society. What hidden messages will they learn about disability?