Some people with disabilities are more compassionate than are non-disabled people.  Some of us are angry and bitter.  Some of us are desperately lonely, sad, or depressed.  Some of us have and extraordinarily well developed sense of humor, and may appear as comics to those who do not know us.  And most of us are sensitive, sad, funny, and angry -- at appropriate times.

Positive attitudes sometimes do promote healing, and it is important to look at what enables us to have positive attitudes, and what hinders us.  Generally, having supportive friends and family, a good job, someone to love, help.  Class and racial barriers, and societal barriers - like job discrimination, inaccessible transportation and buildings, exorbitantly expensive adaptive equipment --hinder.

Those of us who have disabilities or are oppressed in other ways develop our attitudes as an outgrowth of our experiences.  So there is nothing wrong with depicting someone with a disability as more sensitive ore compassionate -- or even as angry and bitter -- what is wrong is not to show or validate the pain and angry at ourselves, and not at the forces which oppress us.

And that is one reason why it is usually inappropriate for a well-meaning author who is non-disabled or has no personal ties with the disability community to attempt to describe us, or tell our stories.  If a non disabled person has a special interest in this subject, then it is imperative to enlist the aid and consultation of the disability community.

Be forewarned -- children's literature about disability is plentiful and varied, and we counted hundreds of titles in this category.  A lot of the newer books, although written with supposedly good intentions, turn out to be uninformed, paternalistic, and handicapist.  Others are poorly written or poorly illustrated texts with disabled characters.  Some try hard, but, for one reason or another, miss.  And still others combine insightful, inspired writing with an honest and accurate presentation -- in short, they are simply wonderful.
                                                                                                                    Beverly Slapin and Jill Lessing