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<p>Disability and dependence have long been represented in literary works through a familiar pattern: the able-bodied figure appears as caregiver, and the disabled character as dependent. Across cultures and periods, such portrayals have reinforced ableist assumptions and consolidated hierarchical notions of ability. In recent years, however, contemporary Indian children’s literature shows a significant shift. Writers and illustrators are increasingly moving away from normative and hierarchical notions of ability. They now offer narratives that foreground autonomy, agency, interdependence, and more inclusive ways of understanding disability. Theorizing this emerging trend, this article examines two recent picturebooks: <i>Neel on Wheels</i> by Lavanya Karthik (illus. Habib Ali, 2018) and <i>My Brother’s Wheeeeelchair</i> by Salil Chaturvedi (illus. Tanvi Bhat, 2019). It argues that these texts unsettle dominant ableist frameworks of disability by subverting the conventional caregiver–dependent binary. The texts forward alternative relational models in which able-bodied characters may depend on disabled ones, or where dependence itself becomes mutual. Such representations expand the scope of Indian children’s literature and contribute to more inclusive social meanings of disability and dependence. The paper concludes by reflecting on some of the limitations that persist within this emerging trend of subversion.</p>

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Subverting the Norms: Reconsidering Disability and Dependence in Contemporary Indian Picturebooks

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月29日

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  • Umesh Kumar,
  • Upama Rani

摘要

Disability and dependence have long been represented in literary works through a familiar pattern: the able-bodied figure appears as caregiver, and the disabled character as dependent. Across cultures and periods, such portrayals have reinforced ableist assumptions and consolidated hierarchical notions of ability. In recent years, however, contemporary Indian children’s literature shows a significant shift. Writers and illustrators are increasingly moving away from normative and hierarchical notions of ability. They now offer narratives that foreground autonomy, agency, interdependence, and more inclusive ways of understanding disability. Theorizing this emerging trend, this article examines two recent picturebooks: Neel on Wheels by Lavanya Karthik (illus. Habib Ali, 2018) and My Brother’s Wheeeeelchair by Salil Chaturvedi (illus. Tanvi Bhat, 2019). It argues that these texts unsettle dominant ableist frameworks of disability by subverting the conventional caregiver–dependent binary. The texts forward alternative relational models in which able-bodied characters may depend on disabled ones, or where dependence itself becomes mutual. Such representations expand the scope of Indian children’s literature and contribute to more inclusive social meanings of disability and dependence. The paper concludes by reflecting on some of the limitations that persist within this emerging trend of subversion.