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1. How can we interact with disabled individuals in a way that makes them feel welcome and accepted?

2. How can we learn what it is like to be someone with a disability?

3. Do government and society have a responsibility to do things to help make life easier for those with disabilities?

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Catchpole, J. (2023). What happened to you? (K. George, Illus.). Little, Brown and Company.

This story features Joe, a boy with one leg, but otherwise an ordinary kid, who wants to pretend he's a pirate trying to outwit sharks and crocodiles. Joe is tired of other kids asking about what happened to his missing leg and manages to convince at least some that it doesn't really matter what happened. The author wishes to convey the message that Joe's similarities to other kids (who also like to play similar games on the playground), are more important than any differences.

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Antrobus, R. (2020). Can bears ski? (P. Dunbar, Illus.) Candlewick Press.

This book is about a bear who experiences issues with his hearing and goes through a period where he can't understand most of what is said to him by family, friends and teachers. His dad brings him to an audiologist who prescribes him hearing aids and lip reading classes. Although Little Bear has a hard time adjusting to his hearing aids, he soon discovers that his life is better now that he has them. Readers will learn how much Little Bear relies on vibrations and visual cues to navigate the world around him while he is struggling with hearing loss.

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Montalvan, L. C., & Witter, B. (2014). Tuesday tucks me in: The loyal bond between a soldier and his service dog (D. Dion, Photos). Roaring Brook Press.

This is a true story about a disabled veteran named Luis and his service dog, Tuesday, and is written from the dog's perspective. Luis suffers from PTSD and TBI, which affect his balance and ability to walk as well as causing periodic nightmares and anxiety. As a trained service dog, Tuesday helps his friend Luis with basic tasks such as bringing him his shoes, helping him cross the street and calming him during panic attacks. But Tuesday is more than just a service dog to Luis; they are best friends.

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Gianferrari, M. (2017). Hello, goodbye dog. (P. Barton, Illus.). Roaring Brook Press.

An entertaining story about a dog named Moose, who has such a strong attachment to his best friend and human Zara, that he never wants to leave her side and always manages to escape the house and find her at school. Knowing that her dog enjoys sitting quietly during story time, Zara comes up with an ingenious idea that enables her and Moose to spend more time together. With the help of her family, she signs him up to be trained as a therapy dog. This not only benefits Zara and Moose but is celebrated by the kids at Zara's school who are excited to welcome Moose as their official reading dog. Although the book focuses more on therapy dog aspect than addressing Zara's use of a wheelchair to get around, the book introduces the idea of therapy dogs and service dogs to young kids who may not be familiar with the concepts.

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Que, J., & Marquez, C. (2023). Dancing hands: a story of friendship in Filipino sign language (F. Alvarez, Illus.). Chronicle Books.

This book is about two girls that become best friends despite a language barrier between them, which is related not only to the region they are from but the type of communication they use. One uses Filipino sign language and the other the spoken word, which one assumes is also Filipino, although this is not explicitly revealed in the book. The girls discover that their willingness to learn new things from each other can strengthen their bond.

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Read the book "Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion" aloud to the class. After reading the book, discuss with the class how Evelyn had to make the adjustment from using her sense of hearing to focus on tactile sensation/her sense of touch. Ask students how they think they would react to losing use of one of their five senses. Which one do they think would be the hardest to lose?

Then, ask them to do the following activity at home and report back on the results.

Pick 2 routine activities that you perform on a regular basis, such as zipping up a coat or jacket, tying your shoes, brushing your teeth, drinking a cup of water, turning on the TV using a remote, finding a snack in the fridge or cabinet, or sitting down in a chair at your kitchen or dining room table.

Ask an adult helper to put a blindfold on you so you are unable to see in front of you. Then, going as slowly as you need to without getting hurt, do 2 of the tasks mentioned above, by using your other senses to help you.

After you are done, write down whether it was easy or hard to do these tasks with the blindfold on. Is this what you expected? Explain your answer.

Last, think about how you might feel if you lost your sight either temporarily or permanently. Do you think your other senses would become stronger? What is the first thing you might want to do to help yourself cope with such a loss?

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Lebeuf, D. (2020). My ocean is blue. (A. Barron, Illus.) Kids Can Press Ltd.

Although the text does not specifically address that the main character has a disability that requires her to wear forearm crutches in order to walk, several illustrations show her walking and standing with them on her way to the beach or while she is there. The reader is able to see that she can do normal activities that a kid her age might want to do while visiting the coast, such as kayaking, swimming and going on a whale watch.

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Ask students in the class to read the book "Fighting For Yes: The Story of Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann", independently and/or as a homework assignment, and then show the class the "Ted Talk" video made by Judith Heumann in 2016.

Then ask them to do further research and write about one of the following topics:

1. How is Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act (approved in 1977), different from the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990? How have things changed since the passage of each?

2. How does the 2006 international treaty called "The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" differ from the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990? What are the most important provisions of each? Has the U.S. ratified this treaty?

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Our fight for disability rights and why we're not done yet | Judith Heumann | TEDxMidAtlantic

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Hull, E. & Rippin, S. (2023) Come over to my house. (D. Gray-Barnett, Illus.) Bright Light Publishing

This fun rhyming book introduces the young reader to several families that all have one or more members with disabilities that include blindness, deafness, dwarfism, autism, cerebral palsy and limb loss. However, these facts are not revealed until the end of the book when each character introduces themself and gives a short summary about the disability that they or their parent have. So, although the illustrations show such things as people in wheelchairs, some reading braille, some using sign language, and some with service dogs etc, everyone looks happy and is engaged in fun activities like dancing and swimming. The reader is made to feel that although the families do many things differently than their own, they are leading happy lives.

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Hammond, T. (2023). A day with no words. (K. Cosgrove, Illus.) Bloomsbury Childrens Books.

This book is about an autistic child who does not speak. He communicates only by pressing buttons on his electronic tablet, which have pictures representing words. These are then translated into text for parents and others to read. The reader learns that Aidan is very sensitive to sounds, and gets anxious around crowds, but seems to enjoy certain tactile sensations like the feel of soft grass on his bare feet. The story introduces the idea that some people need to use different forms of communication and that this is ok.

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Thompson, L. (2015). Emmanuel's dream: The true story of Emmanuel Ofoso Yeboah. (S. Qualls, Illus.) Anne Schwartz Books.

This is an inspiring true story of a boy in Ghana who was born with only one functioning leg, but through hard work and determination made a cross-country trek on a bicycle and became a national and international hero. Emmanuel endured many hardships including being abandoned by his father when he was a baby, having to move to another town to work at a young age and seeing his mom pass away while he was a teenager. Readers will be moved by his persistence, perseverance and positive attitude.

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Fritsch, K. & McGuire, A. (2021). We move together. (E. Trejos, Illus.) AK Press.

This book focuses on the commonalities that all people share (including those with various disabilities), such as the ability to move both fast and slow, solve problems, work together and learn new things. It also emphasizes feelings that all people may experience at some point, such as impatience about having to wait and frustration about things that are unfair, disagreements about how to solve problems, and curiosity about how and why people do things differently. The overarching theme is that by learning about each other's needs and working together, people can build a better future that is more accommodating to everyone, including those with disabilities.

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Brown, K. (2022). Sam's super seats. (S. Miller, Illus). Penguin Random House.

The main character of this book, Sam, is a girl who has cerebral palsy. Like a typical tween girl, she loves to shop, dance, and hang out with her friends. Although she acknowledges that her disability makes some things harder for her to do and that she can't walk for long without her legs aching, this doesn't stop her from loving herself and feeling strong and confident. With the help of supportive family and friends, Sam is able to live a happy and normal life in spite of her cerebral palsy diagnosis.

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Stocker, S. (2022). Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a deaf girl, changed percussion. (D. Holzwarth, Illus.) Dial Books for Young Readers.

This non-fiction book is a true account of the life of Evelyn Glennie, from Scotland, who became deaf at age 11 after many years of playing piano and clarinet. Not wanting to give up on music, she switched to percussion instruments and was able to succeed by focusing on 'listening" to the vibrations. She was accepted into the Royal Academy of Music in London and went on to have a very successful music career, recording albums, receiving Grammy awards, and was even knighted by the Queen of England.

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Flood, N. (2020). I will dance. (J. Swaney, Illus). Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

This story is about a girl named Eva who longs to dance and is determined to find a way to do it, despite her disability. Eva can only move her head, arms and fingers, and uses a wheelchair to get around. Her mom finds out about a dance studio that welcomes those of all ages and abilities. Here Eva is able to participate in group dance exercises even in her wheelchair, with other kids, some of whom are also disabled. What once was a topic that caused her frustration and envy, dance is now an activity that Eva can take part in and enjoy.

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McCarthy, L.A. (2013). Where's the ramp? (H. Verenini, Illus.) Mirror Publishing.

This book is about a tween named Roy who uses a wheelchair on a daily basis due to a muscular disability. Roy stays with his cousin and her family when his father is traveling through China. When Roy and family decide to go out to dinner, they have to stop at several places before they find one that has an accessible ramp to allow Roy to gain entry. The story addresses the fact that ramps were not required in public places built before 1990, when the Americans with Disabilities Act made it the law to do so.

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Munoz, I. (2021). My life with deafness. (M. Schuh, Illus.) Amicus Illustrated.

This book features a deaf boy named Danton who attends elementary school. He tells the reader how his disability affects his day to day life, including going to a special school where he uses sign language, needing to use closed captions to watch TV shows and having a doorbell with flashing lights. He also talks about his similarities to other kids, including his love of video games, jumping on his trampoline, and playing football. There is also mention of his experiences being bullied and we learn more details about the severity of deafness, specifically that he can hear some very loud sounds, and that he has been this way since birth. The end of the book includes tips for how to show respect to people who are deaf.

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Khan, R. (2014). King for a day. (C. Kromer, Illus.) Lee and Low Books.

This is a story about a boy from Pakistan named Malik who is excited about participating in the kite flying contest during the spring festival of Basant. Malik uses a wheelchair to get around. He is determined to win the contest and outperform a local bully who is often mean to his family members and other children. Malik not only wins the contest, but emerges as a hero for giving his prize-winning kite to a girl who had hers stolen by the infamous town bully.

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Burcaw, S. (2017). Not so different: What you really want to ask about having a disability. (M. Carr, Photographer). Roaring Brook Press

This non-fiction work is a true account of what life is like for twenty-something Shane Burcaw, who is wheelchair bound and suffers from muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes severe muscle weakness and deterioration. Although he needs help with routine self-care tasks like getting dressed, brushing his teeth, and getting a shower, he maintains a positive attitude and is able to engage in many activities he enjoys. This includes playing video games, watching and playing sports, going to the beach, and travelling with the help of his supportive family and friends. He is also an accomplished author and co-founder of a non-profit organization called "Laughing at My Nightmare", which promotes the power of positivity and provides equipment grants to people living with a disability. Readers will be inspired by Burcaws' optimism, cheerfulness, determination and drive to help others with disabilities.

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Bell, C. (2020). El deafo. Amulet Books.

This graphic novel, designed for tweens, is about a girl who has to adjust to being deaf after developing meningitis at the age of 4. She must wear special hearing devices, learn to read lips and attend a special school. Then she is given a more high-tech hearing aid device called "the phonic ear", which connects to a special microphone worn by her teacher. It works so well that she is able to hear her teacher anywhere in the school. At which point she wonders if the phonic ear has given her super-hearing abilities and she fantasizes about being a super-hero, and calling herself "El Deafo". The reader is taken along as she navigates through successive years of elementary school and deals with friendship dramas, school crushes, and struggling to figure out what characters on TV shows are saying. The creative illustrations and interesting situations that Cece gets herself into make this book an entertaining read as well as an educational one about what life might be like for a deaf tween girl.

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Cocca-Leffler, M. (2022). Fighting for yes: The story of disability rights activist Judith Heumann. (V. Mildenberger, Illus.) Abrams Books for Young Readers.

This book is a biographical story about Judith Heumann, a teacher and activist who grew up in NYC in the 1950's and has been dependent on a wheelchair for mobility since an early age. Several schools refused to take her as a student, as a result of her disability. Not wanting to give up, she kept trying other schools and was finally accepted at Public School 219 when she was in 4th grade. She went on to high school and then college, with her dream to be a teacher. After she was denied a teaching license by the NYC Board of Education because of her disability, she sued them and won, which spurred NYS to pass a law that prevented people from discriminating against teachers, based on their disability. With help from her friends, Judy co-founded the group the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, an organization dedicated to fighting for rights of people with disabilities, who focused on getting the government to pass Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and organized a sit-in to make sure it happened. Sec. 504 gave people with disabilities equal rights and accessibility to federally funded buildings, streets and transportation and paved the way for passage of the ADA in 1990, which further expanded rights of the disabled. Although this book is technically a picture book, the amount of text and discussion of laws and regulations makes it most appropriate for older elementary school readers.

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Wong, A. (2020). Disability visibility: Seventeen first-person stories for today. Delacorte Press.

This compilation of essays has been adapted for young adults from the book "Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the 21st Century". The essays are written by people with all different types of disabilities such as cerebral palsy, visual impairment, deafness and multiple sclerosis. Instead of featuring stories of heroism or huge triumphs over obstacles, the essays focus more on their struggles with feelings of inadequacy and their desire to be understood by those without disabilities. It also introduces the idea that there can be spaces where people with similar disabilities can gather and embrace their uniqueness instead of just trying to overcome it.

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Cisneros-Prevo, P. (2023). Tenacious: Fifteen adventures alongside disabled athletes. (D. MBD, Illus.) Lee and Low Books.

This nonfiction work features the lives of 15 different athletes with disabilities that excel in sports ranging from wheelchair hockey, wheelchair basketball, skiiing, road biking and mountain climbing, among others. While some of the athletes have lived with their disability since birth, others became disabled after an injury or medical condition acquired as an adult. Despite their commitments to different sports, what they all share is a strong spirit of tenacity and perseverance to keep going despite obstacles in their way.

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Bay-Pimentel, A. (2020). All the way to the top: How one girls' fight for Americans with disabilities changed everything. (N. Ali, Illus). Sourcebooks Kids.

This is a picture book biography of Jennifer Keelan, a girl who had cerebral palsy and becomes a disability rights activist, participating in her first disability rights protest at the age of 6. Starting at an early age, Jennifer becomes frustrated with the fact that she is limited from doing things because of her disability such as being unable to attend schools that don't have accessible entrances or being unable to eat in the cafeteria with other students. Jennifer and her family start participating in disability rights protests including the 1990 "Capitol Crawl" where Jennifer and other disabled activists crawl up the steps of the Capitol Building to urge Congress to pass the ADA. Two decades later ,Jennifer is still involved in the fight for expanding disability rights.

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Burnell, C. (2020). I am not a label: 34 disabled thinkers, athletes and artists from past and present. (L. Mark Baldo, Illus). Wide Eyed Editions.

This non-fiction book includes a one page summary of 34 famous people who attained success in their chosen field despite having some type of a disability. The summary includes biographical details about their life and accomplishments as well as a beautiful portrait illustrations of each person. Those featured include well known people from centuries ago such as the musician Beethoven and the artist Matisse, as well as those still alive today such as Stevie Wonder and Peter Dinklage. Although some of those showcased are household names such as Beethoven and Helen Keller, others are primarily known for being standout in their respective fields. All in all, the book focuses more attention on their careers and achievements than a discussion of their disabilities.

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Meltzer, B. (2015). I am Helen Keller. (C. Eliopoulos, Illus). Rocky Pond Books.

This biographical picture books provides young readers with a nice introduction and summary about the life of deafmute activist Helen Keller. We learn about her many struggles with learning to accept her situation, learning ways to communicate with others and getting ordinary people to be aware of the needs of others like herself.

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Kelly, L. (2019). Song for a whale. Delacorte Press.

This heart-warming tale about a deaf girl named Iris who feels a special connection to a whale after she learns that it can't communicate with fellow whales and thinks the whale might be deaf just like her. Iris is inspired to create a unique song for the animal.