neither inferior or superior, to others; 5) depict an active social network that
involves reciprocal relationships with a variety of individuals, including family
members, friends, peers, and community members; and 6) have the character with
a visual impairment be actively involved in all activities in the story. The books
that scored highest in this inclusivity factor were My Three Best Friends and Me,
Zulay, White Cane Day, and My Friend Jodi is Blind.
Blindness Attitudes
Attitudes specific to blindness and visual impairment were evaluated as
follows: blindness as a major/minor theme, use of disrespectful/respectful
language, intended purpose is for blindness awareness/entertainment,
inaccurate/accurate depiction of blindness, stereotypical/individualistic portrayal,
blindness as a stigma/characteristic, conveyance of a negative/positive image of the
blind, feelings of sympathy/empathy, and whether sighted characters exhibited
patronizing/accepting attitudes. The overall score for this inclusivity factor was
.28, which puts it in good standing. Of particular strength was the tendency to use
respectful language, promote acceptance, and evoke empathy. Of particular
concern was the tendency to inadvertently reinforce stereotypes. Given the fact that
these stories are short, it is difficult to convey a nuanced understanding, and
therefore, stereotyping is not believed to be intentional. On average, each story
reinforced 3.83 stereotypes. Given the fact that most characters with visual
