Ep. 46: Instilling Disability Awareness Early in Childhood

Research shows, having the disability conversation with children is just as, if not more important than, the adult business and workplace disability-inclusion conversation. One study by researchers at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain noted, “attitudes towards disability begin to form in childhood.” The study says childhood is when we “first develop our first notions of justice, empathy and acceptance of difference. There are a lot of parental and educational ways to instill positive disability awareness and acceptance of difference in kids. This sets the stage for workplace disability inclusion and awareness later. One of the ways is through fostering a love of reading — while fostering disability awareness — through storytelling and children’s literature that’s inclusive. That’s what Paul McAllister is doing. He has lived experience being one of those kids who was different. And he grew up to become the founder and publisher behind Monster House Publishing. In this episode, Paul shares his story and perspective on why getting kids to become disability aware is so monstrously important for all of us.   SHOW NOTES Episode 46 transcript (PDF) Find out more about Monster House Publishing University of Deusto study, Raising Awareness About People With Disabilities Among Primary School Pupils: Impact of an Educational Intervention SickKidsHealth blog post, Facial Differences: Confronting the Challenges of Bullying