Info Centre - Disabilities

People with experience of disability needed for story book project

Why is it that disabled people in children’s stories are always scary, like Captain Hook, or needing to be looked after? Where are all the disabled children in picture books?  How could you tell entertaining and original stories for all kinds of kids that include disabled children?

That’s the challenge being laid down to people in Merseyside by disability charity Scope and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).  Liverpool has been selected as the only city to host these free story-writing workshops where people will be invited to come up with children’s stories that are entertaining, realistic or empowering (or all three!)

LJMU Lecturer Nicole Matthews has been involved in the project right from the start.  Her passion for the project stems in part from her own experiences of looking for stories to read to her disabled son, Rory. 

She explained: “Rory loved looking at story books but I couldn’t find any that had any disabled kids in them. It can be really powerful for kids to see images of children like themselves in the books they see in the library or read at school.  Both disabled and non-disabled children need to see a more diverse range of childhood experiences in the books they look at”. 

The Stories Project workshops are part of a wider Big Lottery-funded program run by the national disability charity, Scope to literally put disabled children ‘in the picture’ by encouraging publishers, illustrators and writers to include disabled children in the children’s stories. 

Susan Clow, Scope’s In the Picture Manager, said: “Liverpool seems to be full of creative people and it is fitting that it should host these workshops. Those who take part will be in a unique position to show the book world how to put disabled children' in the picture'."

Under the direction of creative writers Becky Cherriman and Sandra Ikin, disabled aspiring writers and families of disabled children will be challenged to use their imaginations and experiences of family life to come up with page-turning plots. The workshops will also be a place to chat, share experiences and ideas.

Once the stories have been written, LJMU graphic design, illustration and multimedia students will be charged with bringing the stories to life, both in print and online. The stories will also be translated into a range of languages, including British Sign Language.

Commenting on the importance of the project, Kathy Saunders, a consultant for disability awareness in children's books, said: “Children learn about emotional and practical situations through story, often by subconsciously identifying with specific characters or ‘role models’.  It’s hugely empowering for all children to find a character that reflects their own lives. Incidental examples of disabled children taking a full part in playgroups or going swimming, for example, along other non-disabled children, are huge steps in raising subconscious expectations both for disabled and non-disabled children.  Picture books are a superb medium for this.”

Kathy Saunders continued: “This project will make a huge contribution to promoting the idea that disabled children can get a real life, and by doing so, will help disabled children understand that they are equal to all other children. It will also help teach non-disabled children about lives that may be slightly different to their own.”

Places in the workshops, starting from Thursday November 10 in the Wirral Toy Library and at Bootle YMCA from Tuesday November 15, are filling fast.  But if you are interested in taking part, you can still book a place by ringing Susan Clow on 01858 463489 or susan.clow@scope.org.uk . 

If you are interested in story-writing but can’t make these sessions, there will be other workshops happening in the next couple of months including one as part of Liverpool’s annual Deaf and Disabled Arts Festival, DADAfest, running from 25 November to 4 December.  For more information about the DADAfest see North West Disability Arts Forum website on http://www.nwdaf.co.uk/