{"id":4335,"date":"2025-08-29T12:29:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T02:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.melbasupport.com.au\/?p=4335"},"modified":"2026-06-13T17:31:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T07:31:54","slug":"picture-books-marginalising-children-with-disability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.melbasupport.com.au\/picture-books-marginalising-children-with-disability\/","title":{"rendered":"Picture books &#8216;marginalising\u2019 children with disability"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4335\" class=\"elementor elementor-4335\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2cc50f7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2cc50f7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-153417e9 e-con-full home-banner e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"153417e9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-566c26d8 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget-laptop__width-initial elementor-widget-tablet_extra__width-initial elementor-widget-tablet__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"566c26d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Picture books &#8216;marginalising\u2019 children with disability<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ff2567b elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"5ff2567b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-f88c87c elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time> 29 August 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47b4eb53 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"47b4eb53\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60d4dc8f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"60d4dc8f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-795b2f48 link elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"795b2f48\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Australian children\u2019s picture books are overwhelmingly failing to represent children with disability, new research has found.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">An Edith Cowan University (ECU) study analysed 90 award-listed Australian picture books and identified \u201ca glaring omission\u201d in disability representation, according to lead author Associate Professor Helen Adam from ECU\u2019s School of Education.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cOnly one book included a character with a physical disability \u2013 and even then, the child using a wheelchair appeared briefly in the background and was depicted being pushed by another child,\u201d she said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The findings highlight the risk of reinforcing stereotypes and marginalising children with disability.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThis lack of inclusion is not only disappointing but also contributes to negative perceptions,\u201d she said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The report said the absence of disability representation in children\u2019s picture books was \u201ca critical gap that perpetuates harmful stereotypes and marginalises individuals with disabilities\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt is imperative that authors, illustrators, publishers, educators, and caregivers work together to promote inclusive language and imagery, challenge ableism, and create an environment where all readers feel valued and represented,\u201d it said.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cBy doing so, we can help shape a more compassionate and equitable society \u2013 one where every individual can thrive regardless of their abilities.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While the study found progress in the portrayal of cultural diversity and family structures, representation of disability, neurodiversity and diverse abilities was \u201calmost entirely absent\u201d.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Adam said international movements were increasingly featuring characters with disability created by disabled authors, using strength-based narratives to build acceptance, educate able-bodied children, and foster self-worth among children with disability.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ro.ecu.edu.au\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=7336&amp;context=ecuworks2022-2026\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Read the full report here<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d9e3c2 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2d9e3c2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53625845 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"53625845\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c9fba88 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5c9fba88\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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92.3-47.6 102-74.1 131.6-96.3 154-113.7zM256 320c23.2.4 56.6-29.2 73.4-41.4 132.7-96.3 142.8-104.7 173.4-128.7 5.8-4.5 9.2-11.5 9.2-18.9v-19c0-26.5-21.5-48-48-48H48C21.5 64 0 85.5 0 112v19c0 7.4 3.4 14.3 9.2 18.9 30.6 23.9 40.7 32.4 173.4 128.7 16.8 12.2 50.2 41.8 73.4 41.4z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australian children\u2019s picture books are overwhelmingly failing to represent children with disability, new research has found.\u00a0The report said the absence of disability representation in children&#8217;s picture books was \u201ca critical gap that perpetuates harmful stereotypes and marginalises individuals with disabilities\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":4339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Picture books &#039;marginalising\u2019 children with disability | Melba Support Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Australian children\u2019s picture books are overwhelmingly failing to represent children with disability, new research has found.\u00a0The report said the absence of disability representation in children&#039;s picture books was \u201ca critical gap that perpetuates harmful stereotypes and 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