Reading Between the Lines: Content Analysis of Deaf Characters in Children’s Literature

This study explores how Deaf characters are represented in contemporary children’s literature. Thirteen books published between 2014 and 2024 were analysed using a fixed, researcher-adapted rubric based on Crawford’s (2016) evaluation tool. The rubric incorporated 68 criteria across eight categories, grounded in social and affirmative models of disability, and included additional measures specific to Deafdeaf representation. These criteria included assessments of characterisation, language use, cultural inclusion, and language accessibility. Findings revealed considerable variation in quality and depth; While a minority of books portrayed Deaf characters in affirming multidimensional ways, many relied on reductive tropes, tokenism, or positioned the character as responsible for educating hearing characters and readers. Books authored by individuals with lived or informed experience of deafness consistently scored higher, particularly in categories related to narrative perspective, cultural representation, and language accessibility. The results highlight promising developments and ongoing gaps in inclusive representation, offering a framework for improving future portrayals of Deaf perspectives in children’s literature.