Happy Ever Afters - disability awareness in children's storybooks - based on the book Happy Ever Afters.
DICSEY Example - a picture book for older readers
The Snow Dragon written by Vivian French, illustrated by Chris Fisher
1999 Doubleday ISBN 0-385-40924-9
This exceptionally lively story with superbly atmospheric illustrations tells of Little Tuft who lived with his people, the Twolegs, in a small green land between war-like Fire Dragons and peaceful Snow Dragons, but they are hunted almost to extinction when mischievous Book foretells that the King of the Fire Dragons will be defeated by a Twoleg. Little Tuft goes in search of the last Snow Dragon to help theTwolegs.
DICSEY highlights in this book are Disability, Image, Society and Enable.
Book talks to the Fire Dragon and Little Tuft.
Question: When is it useful to have alternatives to the printed word? Answer: Print sizes are often too small for to see easily and books can be too heavy for some people to hold. Some people find it difficult to turn written symbols into words and many people listen to spoken material on audiotape to enable themselves to hear stories or information while their eyes or hands are occupied elsewhere.
The Oldest Twoleg who looked after Little Tuft is said to be 'stone deaf'.
Question: What other ways are there to enable communication without using our ears? Answer: Sign language, lip reading, writing and reading, fingerspelling, vibrating or flashing alarms and visible notices, signed theatre performances, subtitled TV and film, computer notepads
Question: What does 'stone deaf' mean and why is it misleading? Answer: Stones cannot hear anything nor use any other means of responding. Many people have mildly impaired hearing, being able to hear better in some situations than in others. Deaf people can use other means, as above. 'Stone deaf' is a common phrase which creates an image that deaf people cannot communicate by any means, and can be ignored as people, that they are unimportant. It places on deaf people all the responsibility for conversation with hearing people and does not encourage children to approach deafness constructively.
Question: How can society help to prevent damage to our hearing? Answer: Restrict noise levels, encourage or compel use of ear defenders in noisy conditions, immunise against or use medicine to treat infections that damage the ears, educate.
Book says he hates 'happy ever after endings'
Question: Does disability have happy ever after endings? Answer: People are disabled when their society does not support alternative ways of doing things. This could be as simple as an alternative to steps which allow wheelchair users the same freedom of movement as non-disabled people. Change is inevitable, in our society and our individual bodies, and what is suitable at one time may change for the worse sometime later. Disabled people often have to put great effort into adapting to a change which is scarcely noticed by non-disabled people, so happy ever afters do not happen very often.
Special note. The name of this website and the occurrence of the phrase in The Snow Dragon are entirely coincidental and without connection, but the phrase does have a meaning in the DICSEY code, as above. This book is an especially good example of how an excellent children's story book can be used to highlight disability issues in a simple, accessible way.
The fire and snow dragons represent two separate communities.
Question: How does this compare to our own society? Answer: The Twolegs prosper when they border both fire and snow, but are challenged with only one. We too need the benefits of both warmth and water, and need to have variety in our society so that we can choose and use what suits each one of us best. Extremes of fire and snow are like extremes of ability - they are very effective for one task but limited in their range of usefulness. Disabled and non-disabled people both use each other to benefit one another, particularly in employment, and the combined experiences of disabled and non-disabled people prompt society to explore new dimensions to the ultimate advantage of all.
Above all, let children enjoy the book!
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© K. Saunders 2000/2001