Collection+Development

When selecting materials for your library media center, there are three areas to keep in mind to adequately provide access to your students with disabilities:
 * Materials that accommodate special needs;
 * Materials that effectively represent characters with disabilities, including in:
 * Non-fiction
 * Fiction (mental disabilities)
 * Fiction (physical disabilities)
 * Awards for books that portray characters with disabilities; and,
 * Resources for your colleagues that will assist them in serving students with disabilities.

Click on one of the above links to jump down to a list of recommended materials and resources.

Accessible Materials for Students with Disabilities

 * Hi-Lo Publishers (a "Hi-Lo" book is one that has a higher interest level, but a lower reading level. This mean that the books will appeal to older readers, but will be at a lower reading level for those who are reading below grade level)
 * High Noon Books
 * H-I-P Books
 * Orca Book Publishers
 * Sundance Publishers
 * [|Capstone Press]
 * Vendors Selling Braille Materials
 * National Braille Press
 * American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
 * Braille Institute
 * Electronic format books: Students who lack fine motor coordination to turn pages may be able to swipe the screen (tablet) or use a clicker to turn the page. Text can also be manipulated so that it is larger and easier to read for students with visual impairments. Below are some sites where you can obtain (free and fee) electronic books.
 * Apple (iPad) iBooks
 * Barnes and Noble (Nook) Kids
 * Amazon (Kindle) Children's e-books
 * Tumble Book Library (Note: this is a subscription service)
 * International Children's Digital Library: A collection of nearly 4500 electronic children's books written in 55 different languages. One goal of the ICDL foundation is to collect more than 10,000 books in 100 languages that are freely available to all.
 * =====[|Bookshare.org]: An online community that enables people with print disabilities to share scanned books. A special exemption to U.S. copyright law allows Bookshare.org to act as a clearinghouse for U.S. residents who have a disability that affects reading to legally download and share scanned books. Information for schools is available [|here]. Additionally, a page of Bookshare.org reading materials recommended by K-12 teachers is available [|here.]=====
 * =====[|Learning Ally]: Founded in 1948 as Recording for the Blind, Learning Ally serves more than 300,000 K-12, college and graduate students, veterans and lifelong learners – all of whom cannot read standard print due to blindness, visual impairment, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities. The Learning Ally collection includes more than 65,000 digitally recorded textbooks and literature titles, all accessible on mainstream as well as specialized assistive technology devices, and is the largest of its kind in the world.=====
 * =====[|Project Gutenberg eText Library]: A free service offering over 36,000 ebooks that can be downloaded to a computer, e-reader, smart phone, or compatible assistive technology devices. These books are free because their copyright has expired, meaning most of them are more than 75 years old.=====
 * Books and other materials for children with hearing impairments include books about deaf culture, books in Signed English (ASL translation follows English word-order), and videos of storytelling or translations in American Sign Language (ASL)
 * Gaullaudet University Press (Has both advanced books on deaf culture as well as children's books and audiovisual material)
 * Teacher Tube (Search for videos with ASL translation)
 * 1001 Books in ASL (Blog with video translations of commong children's books)

Representative Non-fiction and Fiction
Characters with disabilities are often presented in stereotypical ways. Irwin and Moeller (2010) review common stereotypical portrayals of people with disabilities as laughable, pitiable, a-sexual, sinister or as background characters. As librarians, we have the power to evaluate books and choose to distribute books with positive and realistic depictions of characters with disabilities. Irwin, Moeller and Heim (1994) provide criteria for evaluating books that depict people with disabilities:


 * Assess the accuracy of information
 * Evaluate books for stereotypical portrayals
 * Choose books with high literary quality
 * Choose books that talk about disabilities rather than skirting around it
 * Avoid books where characters with disabilities are “used” by other characters or as subjects of a joke
 * Look for book that include non-white characters, portray different cultural practices or are written in other languages
 * Look for books that portray characters with disabilities with friends and family, living normal lives

**Disabilities in Non-fiction**
Describes the life of Annie Sullivan and the obstacles she faced as partially sighted that later allowed her to teach Helen Keller.
 * Helen's eyes: a photobiography of Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller's teacher** by Marfe Ferguson Delano (2008)

Like most brothers and sisters, the siblings in this book play together, compete with each other, and help one another. This book shows that having a sibling with a physical disability is not so different from having a sibling without a disability. They work together to overcome their problems, whatever the problems are.
 * Brothers and sisters** by Laura Dwight (2005)

Presents ten stories of teenagers facing all of the usual challenges of school, parents, boyfriends and girlfriends, plus the additional complications that come with having a physical or psychological disability.
 * Owning It: Stories about Teens with Disabilities** by Donald R. Gallo (2008)

This photo-essay shows how Panda helps her owner and how the miniature horse was originally trained as a guide horse. The miniature horse has a life span much longer than a guide dog's, giving it an extended relationship with its blind owner.
 * Panda: a guide horse for Ann** by Rosanna Hansen (2005)

Explains how the blind read and write by using a system of raised dots created by Louis Braille and named after him.
 * All about Braille: reading by touch** by Laura S. Jeffrey (2004)

Using case histories, personal stories, and the latest research on autism, the author provides a thorough and absorbing study of this often misunderstood disorder. Also included are suggestions for further reading and contact information for organizations concerned with autism.
 * Autism** by Elaine Landau (2001)

Discusses the nature and treatment of each disease and examines possible cures. Contains fascinating case studies, as well as question and answers.
 * Head and brain injuries** by Elaine Landau (2002)

As a young boy, Rick Hansen loved to fish and play ball. At 15, an accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. However, Rick was a very determined young man. He'd still fish and play ball and live out his dreams-- he'd just learn to do them differently.
 * Boy in motion: Rick Hansen's story** by Ainslie Manson (2007)

Using a wheelchair is a condition many people live with. Find out what life is like for some who use a wheelchair.
 * Using a wheelchair** by Angela Royston (2005)

Part of the "A First Look At" series, this picture book gives kids a first look at many disabilities, special equipment used by individuals with disabilities, and how those individuals navigate the world.
 * Don't Call Me Special** by Pat Thomas (2005)

**Mental Disabilities in Fiction**
**Picture Books**

Alexander experiences feelings of disappointment, anger, embarrassment, and jealousy when his younger brother is diagnosed with autism.
 * Waiting for Benjamin** by Alexandra Altman (2008)

A noisy little girl with cerebral palsy and a quiet little girl with Down syndrome learn to play together and eventually become best friends.
 * Be Quiet, Marina!** by Kristin DeBear (2001)

Photographs show children with Down syndrome in activities with objects corresponding to numbers one through twenty.
 * 1, 2, 3 for You and Me** by Meg Girnis (2001)

Photographs show children with Down syndrome in activities with objects corresponding to the letters of the alphabet.
 * ABC for You and Me** by Meg Girnis (2000)

Gracie has always had a special bond with her Aunt Roo, who is mentally disabled, but that relationship starts to change when Gracie begins school.
 * Keeping Up with Roo** by Sharlee Mullins Glenn (2004)

Due her close observations of her younger brother Ian, who has autism, Julie is able to find him when he wanders off while on a walk, and is able to safely guide him home.
 * Ian's Walk: A Story About Autism** by Laurie Lears (1998)

A young boy named Sam, has difficulty at school and seems moody at home. When Sam is diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger syndrome, his family and teachers understand him better and learn how to help him succeed. Includes tips for parents, teachers and children on being with children who have Asperger's.
 * Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome** by Clarabelle van Niekerk and Liezl Venter (2008)

Eight-year-old Annie begins a journey of self-discovery when she learns that some of her traits which make her different from other children are the result of hydrocephalus, or "water on the brain." Text in English and Spanish.
 * My Brain Won't Float Away** by Annette Perez (2006)

Before her baby brother is born, Emma imagines all the things they will do together. But when Isaac is born with Down syndrome, Emma wonders if her plans will be realized.
 * We'll Paint the Octopus Red** by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen (1998)

**Juvenile and YA Literature**

Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer, relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world.
 * Anything but Typical** by Nora Raleigh Baskin (2009)

High school senior Sage tries to hide her mentally ill mother and get a popular football player to go out with her, but eventually she realizes that abandoning her real friends and letting herself be manipulated by others does not make her feel better after all. Includes author’s note about bipolar disorder and abusive relationships.
 * To Be Mona** by Kelly Easton (2008)

Thirteen-year-old Cynnie has had to deal with her mother's alcoholism and stream of boyfriends all her life, but when her grandparents take custody of her brother, who has Down syndrome, Cynnie becomes self-destructive and winds up in court-mandated Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
 * The Year of My Miraculous Reappearance** by Catherine Ryan Hyde (2007)

Katy, the precocious ten-year-old daughter of the town doctor, befriends a boy with developmental disabilities.
 * The Silent Boy** by Lois Lowry (2003)

Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.
 * Marcelo in the Real World** by Francisco Stork (2009)

Throughout her childhood, Melie believes her mother is two people--Rosy Mother and Dark Mother--and she performs more and more rituals to keep Dark Mother away as she reaches adolescence, when she begins to realize that her mother is mentally ill and that Melie may be, as well.
 * Like a Thorn** by Clara Vidal (2008)

These short stories in manga form tell about the every day life of individuals and families, some living with chronic illness, in post-World War II Hiroshima, Japan.
 * Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms** by Fumiyo Kouno (2007)

**Physical Disabilities in Fiction**
**Picture Books**

In the late 1920s, Anna tries to help her younger sister Katya regain her strength and joy in life after she becomes crippled by polio.
 * Dancing with Katya** by Dori Chaconas (2006)

Sammy's father, who is in a wheelchair, is reluctant to join Sammy in going fishing, until his son's love finally moves him to action.
 * Sammy Wakes His Dad** by Chip Emmons (2000)

Although Tomasito's spina bifida keeps him in a wheelchair, where he often feels as confined as his flightless and featherless pet bird, he discovers that he can feel free when he is on the soccer field.
 * Featherless** by Juan Felipe Herrera (2004)

Moses, who is deaf, has a good time with his family at the circus, where they communicate using sign language. Includes illustrations of some of the signs they use.
 * Moses Goes to the Circus** by Isaac Millman (2003).

This colorful picture book gently comments on many things that make us different from each other, reassuring the reader that differences are okay and make us who we are.
 * It's Okay to be Different** by Todd Parr (2001)

Lee, a jazz pianist, has to leave his band when he begins losing his hearing, but he meets a deaf saxophone player in a sign language class and together they form a snazzy new band.
 * The Deaf Musicians** by Pete Seeger and Paul DuBois Jacobs (2006)

When Moses' teacher gives him a writing assignment describing a friend, Moses chooses Zaki, his babysitter's iguana, because he recognizes that they have something in common: they both have special needs. This story highlights this unique friendship of a boy in a wheelchair and a reptile who is missing several toes.
 * All Kind of Friends, Even Green!** by Ellen B. Senisi (2002)

A young girl relates all the ways she and her best friend, Sarah, are alike, in spite of the fact that Sarah uses a wheelchair.
 * Best Friends on Wheels** by Debra Shirley (2008)

**Juvenile & YA Literature**

Seventeen-year-old Frank Marder struggles to deal with the aftermath of an accident he had while driving drunk that killed two people, including his girlfriend, and left him paralyzed from the neck down.
 * Head Case** by Sarah Aronson (2007)

A ten-year-old orphan comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors where she discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.
 * The Secret Garden** by Frances Hodgson Burnett (2008 ed.)

Fourth-grader Donavan is sensitive about the problems he has understanding math, and then when his favorite uncle, a former high school basketball star, returns from National Guard duty an amputee, Donavan's problems get even worse as he struggles to accept this "new" Uncle Vic.
 * Donovan's Double Trouble** by Monalisa DeGross (2008)

When sixteen-year-old Riley unwillingly attends a religious summer camp, she forms a deep bond with another camper who happens to be wheelchair bound.
 * Everything Beautiful** by Simmone Howell (2008)

Twelve-year-old Julia knows that her physical deformity will keep her from a normal life, but counts on the continuing friendship of her life-long slave, Mitka, until they learn that both of their futures in first-century Pompeii are about to change for the worse.
 * The Last Girls of Pompeii** by Kathryn Lasky (2007)

When the Nazi party takes control of Germany, thirteen-year-old Paula, who is deaf, finds her world-as-she-knows-it turned upside down, as she is taken into hiding to protect her from the new law nicknamed T4.
 * T4: A Novel in Verse** by Ann Clare LeZotte (2008)

A deaf fourth-grader finds her true calling when she is cast as Dorothy in a school production of "The Wizard of Oz."
 * Leading Ladies** by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney (2007)

High school sophomore Andromeda, an outcast because she studies the occult and has a hearing impairment and other disabilities, overcomes grief over terrible losses by enlisting others' help in her plan to save library books--and finds a kindred spirit along the way.
 * Andromeda Klein** by Frank Portman (2009)

In 1881, sixteen-year-old Mary Ingalls becomes a student at the Iowa College for the Blind, where she studies academic subjects and learns skills that will allow her to be independent and to earn a living.
 * Mary Ingalls on Her Own** by Elizabeth Kimmel Willard (2008)

Awards for Books that Represent Characters with Disabilities
This award is overseen by the American Library Association (ALA) and honors "an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences." The award is given to three books each year by age category 0-8, 9-13 and 14-18. A bibliography of past awards can be found on the ALA's website.
 * Schneider Family Book Award**

Overseen by the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD) of the Council for Exceptional Children, this award honors "authors, illustrators, and publishers of high quality fictional children's books that appropriately portray individuals with developmental disabilities." A list of past awards can be found on the DADD website.
 * Dolly Gray Award**

Resources for Teachers and Administrators
//Learning Disabilities// makes the connection between the characteristics of students with learning disabilities and the classroom tested instructional strategies that work in class.
 * Learning Disabilities: Characteristics, Identification, and Teaching Strategies** by William N. Bender (2007)

For educators new to the RTI approach, this book presents an overview of key concepts with guidelines for accountability practices that benefit students in inclusive classrooms.
 * Response to Intervention: A Practical Guide for Every Teacher** by William N. Bender and Cara Shores (2007)

A practical guide to help professionals select and integrate into their curriculum or practice literature that portrays characters with disabilities.
 * Teaching About Disabilities Through Children's Literature** by Tina Taylor Dyches and Mary Anne Prater (2008)

Michael F. Giangreco, Chigee J. Cloninger, Virginia Salce Iverson (2011) Using the established and field-tested methods of COACH, special and general educators, related services providers, and school administrators can collaborate with families and work toward developing a meaningful IEP for each student.
 * Choosing Outcomes & Accommodations for Children (COACH): A Guide to Educational Planning for Students With Disabilities** by

This practical guide provides a clear vision of what RTI looks like in practice and illustrates how educators can use this highly effective approach to help students acquire grade-appropriate reading skills or make sure students receive the support they need through special education services.
 * Implementing Response to Intervention: A Principal's Guide**, by Susan Hall (2007)

Practical and comprehensive, this book focuses on the nuts and bolts of designing positive behavior support plans for students with such disabilities as mental retardation, autism, learning disabilities, and emotional/behavioral disorders.
 * Individualized Supports for Students with Problem Behaviors** by Lee Kern and Linda M. Bambara (2005)

Lavoie, who has taught and worked in the special education field for over 30 years, shows how to detect learning disabilities, discusses their impact on a child's social development, and provides strategies for implementing behavior change.
 * It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success** by Rick Lavoie (2006)

IEP meetings are naturally filled with emotionally-charged decisions. This guide can help all members of the IEP team work collaboratively and effectively to ensure the best outcomes for the students.
 * A Guide to Collaboration for IEP Teams** by Nicholas R.M. Martin (2005)

Written for educators who work with special children and teens, this second edition of a best-selling classic offers a practical guide to every facet of the special education teacher's job, from teaching in a self-contained classroom or resource room to serving on a multidisciplinary team.
 * The Special Educator's Survival Guide** by Roger Pierangelo (2004)

The greatly expanded second edition contains 301 new and enhanced tests, which are vital to understanding assessment in special education. Designed as an easy-to-use, hands-on resource, the book is filled with practical tools, information, and suggestions.
 * The Special Educator's Comprehensive Guide to 301 Diagnostic Tests** by Roger Pierangelo and George Giuliani (2006)

This thoroughly updated edition of the best-selling book gives all classroom teachers, special educators, and administrators an arsenal of adaptable and ready-to-use strategies, lessons, and activities. It is a comprehensive resource that helps teachers reach students with varied learning styles, ability levels, skills, and behaviors.
 * How to Reach and Teach All Children in the Inclusive Classroom** by Sandra F. Rief and Julie A. Heimburge (2006)

In this book, the authors tackle the issue of how to address student differences thoughtfully and proactively.
 * Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom** by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau (2010)

The authors, who have more than 20 years experience working with and advocating for gifted and learning diabled children, provide useful, practical advice for helping smart kids with learning challenges succeed in school.
 * Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential** by Rich Weinfeld, Sue Jeweler, Linda Barnes-Robinson , Betty Shevitz (2006)

Also See:

 * Kaiser, C. (2007). Is Your Early Childhood Literature Collection Disability-Inclusive and Current? //Children and Libraries,// 5(3), 5-12.** This bibliography includes over 300 different books about numerous disabilities including (but not limited to) attention disorders, chronic illnesses (such as allergies, asthma, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, etc), epilepsy, prematurity, and bullying. The list also indicates particularly recommended texts as well as those with religious or spiritual tones.

**Linda Lucas Walling Bibliographies** This collection of books selected by Linda Lucas Walling include books with big print, good contrast, clear plot, and other characteristics described on the Inclusive Storytelling page.