Nursery World - Picture this (3)

The future is looking brighter for books that depict disabled children as an incidental part of a story, as Dr Sue Jennings discovers Talk to any practitioner about inclusive story books and they are likely to express frustration at the sheer lack of what is available.

Talk to any practitioner about inclusive story books and they are likely to express frustration at the sheer lack of what is available.

At Puffins Neighbourhood Nursery in Torquay, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) Jenni Hewings is impatient about the lack of stories and factual material. To get around this she often makes up her own stories and tells them through puppets.

She says, 'We need books that are more creative in their approach. By this I mean not just stories about a character with a disability - but more diversity of disability, rather than just a picture of a child in a wheelchair. More material is needed especially about children with visual, hearing and speech impairments.'

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