"We Need Diverse Books" campaign including disability voices

Dear all,

For people’s awareness, there is a campaign underway, called 

#WeNeedDiverseBooks, to raise visibility around the need for books with
diverse characters.  This campaign is particularly focused on children's
books and young adult books.  This is meant to be inclusive of all kinds
of diversity, including diversity in relation to racial and ethnic
identity, all sexual and romantic orientations, all gender identities,
and, YES, also people with disabilities.  Many bloggers and other social
media leaders are getting involved, including the people behind the
"Disability in Kid Lit" blog in Wordpress
(http://disabilityinkidlit.wordpress.com) and its sister blog in Tumblr
(http://disabilityinkidlit.tumblr.com).  There will be three days of
action on May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd this week 2014, mostly via social media
(Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and other blogs, etc.).

This initiative started in the U.S. in response to a book conference that
chose an all white male line up in a panel of noteworthy young adult
authors. (And I assume they are also all heterosexual, cissexual, and
non-disabled as well.) For this reason, much of the activity for this
campaign has been U.S. focused.  However, organizers of the
#WeNeedDiverseBooks initiative are hoping that the campaign will spark
similar efforts around the world.  In the long run, they hope to see this
turn into a global effort.  Therefore, they welcome contributions from,
and similar initiatives started by, people in all countries.

 

I think promoting the inclusion of characters with disabilities in children's books and young adult books (and books for us "old fogies" too!) would be consistent with the spirit of Article 8 in the CRPD.  Of course, this needs to include women and girl characters with disabilities, and indigenous peoples with disabilities in books as well.

More information on the campaign at
http://weneeddiversebooks.tumblr.com/post/83943947418/we-need-diverse-books-campaign

There is also a Facebook event for this at
https://www.facebook.com/events/745853242132100/