5 Books to Spark Conversations about Accessibility and Inclusion Among Youth
Reading is a great opportunity to learn and immerse yourself in a story. Here, we share some wonderful stories that teach our youth about inclusion and disability.
Masterpiece
Written by Alexandra Hoffman. Illustrated by Beatriz Mello
Ages 0-12
This book follows a young boy named Samuel who is neurodiverse and on the autism spectrum. In the story, Samuel’s teacher asks all the students to create an art project, and the students learn how seeing the world differently is something to embrace. The book celebrates the diverse way we interact with the world, for example showing his use of noise cancelling headphones, and sparks conversation about empathy and inclusion.
Gary’s Gigantic Dream
Written by Dr. Nicole Julia. Illustrated by Jeff Crowther
Ages 3-7
This is a story about Gary, a young giraffe, who receives his first wheelchair. Through this process, Gary finds independence and learns about all the exciting things he can now do. This allows Gary to dream big and encourage others to do the same. This story allows young readers to learn about physical disabilities and the importance of accessibility.
Grandma, It’s Me!
Written by Y. Y. Chan . Illustrated by Pearly L.
Ages 6-10
Grandma, It’s Me, follows Reily, a young girl who loves spending time with her grandparents. When she notices that her grandmother is having a hard time recognizing her, Reily’s parents explain dementia and memory loss and Reily takes it upon herself to try and support her grandmother. This story sparks conversation and teaches young readers about dementia with empathy and understanding.
Mighty Mila
Written by Katie Petruzziello. Illustrated by Nadja Sarell
Ages 3-8
Mila is determined to prove that she is a big kid. Throughout this story Mila learns how being grown up is hard, but Mila uses perseverance to continue trying to prove herself to her parents. While not the focus of the story, Mila also has cochlear implants and identifies as hard of hearing, providing important representation of hearing loss for kids. This story allows for youth to relate to the universal feeling of wanting to be grown up, while sharing details about what it’s like to have cochlear implants, teaching youth about determination and how each of us can do whatever we set our minds to.
Jessi's Secret Language
Written by Ann M. Martin. Illustrated by Chan Chau
Ages 9-12
This story from the well-known Baby-sitters Club Series follows Jessi, a new babysitter for Matt. Matt was born deaf and communicates using sign language. In this graphic novel, Jessi learns to communicate with Matt, and encourages other kids in the town to do the same. This story teaches youth about different communication styles and hearing loss using empathy and understanding.
This is not an exhaustive list, and we would love to hear about your favourite books and stories for youth!
