Representations of Disabled Characters in Contemporary Upper Middle-Grade Children's Literature

这个创造性和批判性的项目(50%-50%)探索了英国儿童小说中残疾的表现。关键部分考虑了(11-14岁)中上档小说中残疾主人公的作用和普遍程度，找出了任何不足的原因(即，残疾作家缺乏机会)和随后的社会影响(重点关注目标读者)。这将是关于这一专题的第一次深入研究：分析目前的工作主体，重点关注残疾/非残疾作者为中上阶层创作残疾主角以及相关的伦理争论。与此对话，这部创造性的研究是一部中上年级的小说，从一个患有脊椎损伤的13岁女孩的角度出发，阐述了她的经历，特别是她的残疾如何影响她的世界观和行为。背景2019年出版的接受调查的儿童小说中有3.9%包含残疾主角(CCBC，2019)；然而，Scope的2019年报告指出，8%的英国儿童认为是残疾的。图书信托基金会的儿童读物主管吉尔·科尔曼认为，“故事和人物会影响[儿童]如何看待他们自己和他们周围的世界。”(2021)。这对所有儿童都是如此，但对于残疾儿童来说，尤其适用于培养他们的抱负，并帮助非残疾儿童将“残疾视为常态的一部分”(Strick，2017)。如果没有这一观点，课堂差异可能会发展(Reijer&McGrail，2015)。研究表明，残疾儿童和非残疾儿童之间的鸿沟在中年级阶段尤其有害，因为在这个阶段，通常会发生关于“外国概念和问题”的“对话和辩论”(Glass，2017；Lipoff，2011)。7/23研究问题：1.残疾代表不足对中上年龄组有何影响？2.文学文本如何为积极的改变提供平台？3.关于作者的表征和自我表征面临哪些挑战？4.写作如何积极地改变人们对残疾的看法？方法-关键要素从调查当前以残疾主要人物为特色的中年级作品开始，探索表征如何影响读者。创造性的工作始于通过M4C的合作伙伴国家残奥会遗产信托基金(利用他们与更广泛的残疾人社区的关系)组织的实际研究。已经与NPHT达成原则协议，在残疾人社区内举办创造性写作研讨会，调查如何敏感地创造积极的残疾人物。在与这项研究的对话中，将创作一部以13岁残疾主人公为主角的中上年级小说，讲习班队列在起草时提供重要的敏感性反馈。调查结果将被记录在关键部分(中级作者和出版商也将接受采访，以获取他们的观点和经验，并对相关作品进行批判性分析)。创造性写作对于活生生地为读者呈现问题至关重要，为创造一个三维的中上级残疾人角色带来积极的好处。该项目通过创造性研究提高对表现的好处的认识。通过国家残奥会遗产信托发起文化交流，该项目通过举办写作研讨会，促进残疾人(自己的声音)和非残疾人作家敏感地创造积极和真实的残疾人物遗产。

This creative and critical (50%-50%) project explores representations of disability in British children'sfiction. The critical component considers the roles and prevalence of disabled protagonists in uppermiddle-grade fiction (for 11-14-year-olds) identifying reasons for any shortfall (i.e., a lack of opportunitiesfor disabled writers) and subsequent societal impacts (focussing on the intended readership). It will bethe first in-depth study on this topic: analysing the current body of work and focussing on the creation ofdisabled protagonists by disabled/non-disabled authors for upper middle-grade, and related ethicalarguments. In dialogue with this, the creative research is an upper middle-grade novel written from theperspective of a 13-year-old with a spinal injury, illuminating her experiences, specifically how herdisability influences her worldview and actions.Context3.9% of surveyed children's novels published in 2019 contained disabled main characters (CCBC, 2019);however, Scope's 2019 report states 8% of UK children identify as disabled. Jill Coleman, BookTrust'sDirector of Children's Books, suggest 'Stories and characters [...] affect how [children] see themselvesand the world around them' (BookTrust, 2021). This is true for all children, but particularly pertinent forthose with a disability, to foster their aspirations, as well as helping non-disabled children view 'disabilityas part of the norm' (Strick, 2017). Without this view, classroom divides can develop (Reijer & McGrail,2015). Research suggests divides between disabled and non-disabled children are particularly harmful inthe middle-grade stage when 'conversation and debate' of 'foreign concepts and problems' typicallyoccurs (Glass, 2017; Lipoff, 2011).7 / 23Research Questions:1. How is the upper middle-grade age group impacted by underrepresentation of disability?2. How can literary texts provide platforms for positive change?3. What challenges are faced around representation and self-representation regarding authorship?4. How can writing positively change perceptions of disability?MethodologyThe critical element begins by investigating the current body of middle-grade work featuring disabledmain characters exploring how representation impacts the readership. The creative work begins withpractical research organised via M4C's partner, the National Paralympic Heritage Trust (leveraging theirrelationship with the wider disabled community). Agreement in principle has been reached with NPHT todeliver creative writing workshops within the disabled community investigating how positive disabledcharacters can be created sensitively. In dialogue with this research, an upper middle-grade novelfeaturing a 13-year-old disabled protagonist will be created, the workshop cohort providing vitalsensitivity feedback as it is drafted. Findings will be documented in the critical component (middle gradeauthors and publishers will also be interviewed to capture their views and experiences, and relevantwork critically analysed).Writing creatively is essential for bringing to life the issues of representation for the readership, providingthe positive benefit of the creation of a three-dimensional upper middle-grade disabled character.ImpactThe project provides improved knowledge of the benefits of representation through creative research.Initiating cultural exchange via the National Paralympics Heritage Trust, by hosting a programme ofwriting workshops the project promotes disabled (own voice) and non-disabled writers to sensitivelycreate a legacy of positive and authentic disabled characters.