Discussion: Is ANY representation better than NO representation?
Is any representation better than no representation? That argument frequently comes up in response to criticism, but is it valid?
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
All About Logistics
I’ve talked a lot about the ways my disability has affected my body image, my sexuality, my confidence, and my social interactions, and all of those things are important to consider when writing a disabled character. Today, however, I want to focus on the ways my disability affects the logistics of my life.
On Bullying
I don’t remember the first time I was bullied, but I do remember the moment I finally realized that I had been bullied.
Sister Act
In my experience, the disabled sibling in fiction exists purely to make the main character’s life more “difficult,” more “sympathetic.” Oh, that poor dear, the writers want you to think,
Discussion: Disability tropes
Which are our contributors’ least favorite disability tropes?
Discussion: What would you like to see more of?
In terms of disabled characters, what would our contributors like to see more of in children’s literature?
Discussion: Tips for Research & Respectful Writing
What kind of tips do our contributors have for authors seeking to respectfully write disabled characters?
Being a Poster Child
A poster child, to me, is a child with a disability who is “shown off” as a way to generate funds, awareness, understanding, more funds. Mostly funds, in my experience.
Discussion: Inspiration Porn
How do our contributors define the dreaded concept of “inspiration porn,” and how do they feel about it?
Disability, Self Esteem, and Sex
Masturbation (and sexuality in general), particularly for girls, is widely stigmatized. But on top of that stigma, I had this body that was utterly different from the bodies around me. It was different and therefore wrong.