Review: Omegaball by Robert J. Peterson
I was intrigued by the virtual-reality premise, but this book is a veritable hotbed of misogyny and a case study in how not to write a wheelchair-using character.
Author Kayla Whaley
Author bio
Kayla Whaley
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Kayla is Senior Editor at Disability in Kidlit and a graduate of the Clarion Writers’ Workshop. Her work has appeared at The Toast, The Establishment, Uncanny Magazine, and in the upcoming anthology Feminism for the Real World. She is represented by Beth Phelan of The Bent Agency. When not buying way too many books, she’s usually being overly sincere on the internet.
Their posts
Interview with Melissa Shang about Mia Lee is Wheeling Through Middle School
Kayla Whaley talks with thirteen-year-old activist and author Melissa Shang about her recent middle grade debut.
Wheelchair Users in Fiction: Examining the Single Narrative
The most common wheelchair-using character has acquired paraplegia, but why is this particular narrative so prevalent, and at the expense of all others?
The State of Disability on Book Covers
We take a close look at the state of recognizable representation of visibly disabled characters on book covers.
Introduction to Disability Terminology
To help authors make informed decisions about what language to use, we talk about disability terminology–from outdated words and cringe-worthy phrases to straight-up ableist slurs, and everything in between.
(Not) Engaging with Disability: Convenient Approaches in SFF
Magic and technology often minimize disability in SF/F. How can authors meaningfully engage with disability and the ways that speculative elements can affect disabled characters?
Discussion: Magical Disabilities
When we talk about disability and sci-fi/fantasy, the first thing many will think of is the magical disability trope. But what does this trope entail and imply? And how can you subvert it?
Review: Young Knights of the Round Table by Julia Golding
Linette is more a convenient plot device than a protagonist, and disabled readers deserve more. Young Knights of the Round Table is a prime example of incidental disability done wrong.
Review: I Funny by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein
We have so few stories—especially lighthearted ones—with wheelchair-using characters that I’d hoped I’d be able to recommend I Funny, but it’s a dangerous narrative wrapped up and presented as “good messages.”
Discussion: If We Could Tell an Author One Thing …
If our contributors could tell an author writing a character with their disability one thing–besides “do your research”–what would it be?