8hello

Happy Ever Afters - disability awareness in children's storybooks - based on the book Happy Ever Afters.

DICSEY Example - an easy reader

Celebrate the International Day of Disabled Persons with a day trip to France!

Hello Europe! written by Humphrey Carpenter and illustrated by Frank Rodgers

1992 Viking Books Kites Series ISBN 0-670-84052-9 in a three story presentation under the main title of Mr Majeika and the School Book Week

Mr Majeika takes Class Three on a day trip to France and needs all his magic powers to solve some of the problems.

This story can be used to highlight how transport and public facilities can be made easier for disabled people to use, the territorial limits of different laws and regulations and how disability is related to society's attitude and the environment. It shows DICSEY elements Disability, Society and Enable.

If needed, a quick link to 'An Introduction to the DICSEY Code' is here.

Class Three learn how to translate from English to French.

Question: Is it easy to use British Sign Language in other countries? Answer: Sign languages used in other countries have their own handshapes and rules just like verbal languages use words and rules. British Sign Language is different to French Sign Language, but because a few common words have handshapes that look similar in different sign languages, it is sometimes possible to understand basic sign used in other countries more quickly.

All the children travel by coach and ferry.

Question: What enables wheelchair users to get on coaches and use ferries? Answer: Steps and stairs present difficulty for many people. Low level floors on buses with ramps and lifts enable transport to be used by everybody. Clear signposting and spoken announcements, more time to move between places, clean air (No Smoking) policies, adequate space to move wheelchairs, plenty of seats for resting, and accessible toilets and snack bars also help to make travel possible for more people.

They go shopping and sightseeing.

Question: How do they decide where to go? Answer: It is useful to have a map of new places but disabled people may also need to know if it is possible for them to get into shops and enjoy other places of interest. This usually means finding out in advance, which is not always easy to do. Access guides help a little, but do not replace an environment in which all tourist attractions and facilities are organised to enable their use by everyone.

Different countries have different customs.

Question: Why is it easier to travel in some countries than others? Answer: In countries such as the United Kingdom and America, society has created laws that require public facilities to be organised so that people with different disabilities can use them as easily as anyone else. It shows that it is society's customs, not people's private medical conditions, that can disable people.

In the UK this law is called the Disability Discrimination Act, and because it is a new law, disabled people are still urging for equal access in many areas of life. The Disability Discrimination Act applies only where UK law applies. British travellers may still face difficulties in countries that do not have similar laws, and on ships which have internationally agreed maritime laws.

Above all, let children enjoy the story!

International Day of Disabled Persons information

Link to Archive page for more suggestions

Return to DICSEY examples page

Return to HOME page