Reading Disability in Indonesian Children�s Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the representation of disability and to identify thediscourse resulted from the pattern of its portrayal in four selected Indonesian childrensshorts stories, namely Kacamata UFO, Gadis Penari, Bapak Si Dono, and Cerita Riondengan Sebelah Mata published in Bobo magazine. Applying the lens of Saids Orientalism,this content analysis study shows that children with disabilities are presented as weak,dependent, not productive, an object of curiosity and violence, and a vehicle for the growth ofother characters in the story. This study concludes that literacy on disability for Indonesianpeople is significant. Such writing is to provide a positive image and reduce the negativestereotype which is currently shared among society.Keywords: childrens literature, disability, representation, short stories