Representation of Disabled People in UK Children's Books
How it Works
Reflecting Disability: Representation of disabled people in UK children’s books was set up in 2023 with support from Arts Council England.
Read on for details of the current process. See Background to read how the Reflecting Disability methods and processes were researched, developed and tested.
How the review process works
Step 1 – Registration
​We contact UK publishers to invite them to register to submit books.
We ask them to share the number of relevant books they published in the year of the study. This includes the total number of books with humans as main cast characters, the total number of books published with animals as main cast characters and the total number of books published with inanimate objects as main cast characters. We also ask them approximately how many books they expect to submit for the study to help us prepare fotr the review process.
Registration is open from 11 November to 11 December 2024.
Step 2 – Submission
​Publishers fill in the submission form for each book, supplying the key details, format, eligibility, fiction and non-fiction categories. They also indicate the category of representation depicted (you can read more about how these categories were researched and created on the Background page, and find the list of categories and a statement from the Steering Group on the Eligibility page). Publishers can also indicate whether there are any accessible features or formats available.
Alongside the form submission, we ask publishers to send both PDF and hard copy titles for review. We are happy to discuss alternative solutions with smaller publishers if submitting hard copies is a barrier.
We also ask publishers to share a form with the creators of the books that they submit. This allows the creators the opportunity to share any information relevant to the representation. Read more about this on the Submissions page.
Book submissions are open from 1 December 2024 to 31 January 2025
Step 3 – Follow up
After submissions officially close, we follow up with both registered and unregistered publishers to make sure that all eligible books have been submitted.
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Step 4 – Recruit and train reviewers
​We are delighted to be working with Oxford Brookes University and the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies. BA and MA publishing students will form the Reflecting Disability review team, and receive full training and a paid internship, as well as being supported by a review manager. Read more about this process on the Background page.
As soon as the Reflecting Disability research project was announced I asked how we could help. It is such a fantastic opportunity for Brookes Publishing students and graduates to be involved in this research project. The findings of this important research and the Reflecting Disability Archive will continue to inform the next generation of publishing professionals.
Helena Markou, Senior Lecturer in Publishing at Oxford Brookes University
Step 5 – Review
​Throughout the review process, trained review managers will support the reviewers, answer questions, and spot check the reviews. There will be regular co-working sessions for the reviewers so that they can ask questions as they arise.​​
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For each book, reviewers will look at the type and format of book, the type of representation, the prominence of the disabled character(s), other facets of diversity, the context and the quality of representation across main, group and background casts.
Steps 6 – 8 of the 2024 study are currently dependent on securing funding.
Step 6 – Analyse
Step 7 – Discuss
We discuss the findings with the review team so that they can contribute and question based on the titles they reviewed.
We share the findings and analysis with the Steering Group for their input and critique.
Step 8 – Report
The findings, analysis and feedback are collated to write a report that both discusses and analyses the findings, and provides tangible advice on how the industry can move forward in this area. The Steering Group will once again review the report and suggest any changes before it is published.
It is hoped that the report will be published in late 2025/early 2026.