Children’s literature in India has to do a better job of telling stories about disability

by Payal Dhar

Description: Three children play under a spotlight against the background of a large, purple book. One of them dances, holding blue pom poms, and wearing a prosthesis on one of their lower legs. The second stands with their back to us, holding a walker. The third sits on the floor, wearing headphones attached to a device. The turquoise background features speech bubbles. Credit: Sonaksha Iyengar

We are an overwhelmingly ableist society — we see disability or neuro-divergence as a lack or absence that makes an individual ‘inferior’ and keeps them from having a fulfilling life as defined by mainstream values. Plus, most of us still tend to use problematic terminology in referring to…