one book. While most of the characters were children who were not of working
age, only five working-age characters had some type of "job," which may or may
not have been paid.
In essence, blindness was often the only dimension of identity represented.
Recommendations for authors involving development of the character with a visual
impairment are as follows: 1) give them an active voice; 2) give them a variety of
social interests and hobbies; 3) while they can have character flaws, they should
also demonstrate ability, confidence, competence, and appropriate
interdependence; 4) show them using a variety of specialized tools and techniques;
5) emphasize other dimensions of identity in addition to the visual disability, and
6) represent the full spectrum of abilities—including those with low vision and
those with additional disabilities. The books that scored highest in this inclusivity
factor were Diamond on the Mound, Mandy Sue Day, and My Three Best Friends
and Me, Zulay.
Quality of Relationships
The following relationship attributes were evaluated: whether they were
circumstantial/chosen, included peers with/without disabilities, were
caregiving/reciprocal, included age-inappropriate/age-appropriate activities, and
promoted a one of them/us mentality. The overall score for this inclusivity factor
was .32, which puts it in good standing. Of particular strength was the formation of
