Stories teach us to see each other
Stories — especially children's picture books — are among the most powerful tools we have to educate young readers about disability, encouraging meaningful conversations and building deep, lasting empathy from the very first page. By embracing our differences, we can foster compassion and understanding.
A picture book for every kind of child
Inspired by my brother Daniel and the red adaptive swing he loved at our neighborhood park, Ziggy's Red Swing is a story for children who haven't seen themselves in books — and for the children learning alongside them.
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Perspective-Taking
Fiction activates the same neural pathways as real experience. When readers inhabit a character's life, they genuinely practice seeing the world differently — building empathy that lasts.
Early Education
Children who read about disability from an early age develop more inclusive attitudes, are more likely to befriend disabled peers, and carry these values into adulthood.
Opening Conversations
Books give families, classrooms, and communities a safe, structured way to discuss disability — questions that might otherwise feel awkward become natural and welcome.
Mirrors & Windows
For disabled readers, representation is a mirror — validating their experience. For non-disabled readers, it's a window into lives they may never otherwise encounter.
Challenging Stereotypes
Good disability literature moves beyond tropes of pity or inspiration. It shows full, complex, joyful human beings — dismantling harmful narratives one story at a time.
Building Inclusion
Schools and workplaces that prioritize this kind of literature report more inclusive cultures. Stories normalize access needs and make accommodation feel natural, not special.
Why Promote Children's Disability Literature?
According to the WHO, approximately 16% of the world's population, or 1.3 billion individuals, "experience a significant disability." As the number of individuals in the world with disabilities increases and greater numbers of students with disabilities are included in classrooms, we must advocate for a more inclusive vision of education. One effective way to foster understanding and empathy for people with disabilities in the classroom is through stories.
By embracing children's literature that highlights individuals with different backgrounds and abilities, we can challenge stereotypes and promote empathy and inclusivity. Emphasizing diversity and belonging, children's books can serve as a gateway to fostering understanding among children as young as preschoolers.
A 2019 study by the Cooperative Children's Book Center found that only 3.4% of children's books featured a main character with any disability. As a result, most disabled children rarely see picture books that feature characters with disabilities. Similarly, non-disabled children are growing up without exposure to literature about disability.
This is a huge loss. Children's literature could be a critical tool for raising awareness about disability and promoting empathy and inclusion among all children. When children develop empathy at a young age, these attitudes shape how they treat their friends, neighbors, and community members throughout their lives. For families raising a child with a disability, this is not an abstract need — it is a much needed chance for their child to see themselves and feel included in their own story.
Find out more about Why It Matters →A red swing in Carl Schurz Park
My brother Daniel was nonverbal, used a wheelchair, and his greatest joy was the red adaptive swing at our neighborhood park. The book, this site, and the swing installation in April 2026 all started with him.
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