Practitioner Paper: Lessons Learned From the ‘Stories for Inclusion’ Project in Manikganj (Bangladesh): Changing Attitudes towards Disability Using Inclusive Stories in School and Community – AJIE

Practitioner Paper: Lessons Learned From the ‘Stories for Inclusion’ Project in Manikganj (Bangladesh): Changing Attitudes towards Disability Using Inclusive Stories in School and Community

Practitioner Paper
Lessons Learned From the ‘Stories for Inclusion’ Project in Manikganj (Bangladesh): Changing Attitudes towards Disability Using Inclusive Stories in School and Community

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59595/ajie.13.1.4

Els Heijnen-Maathuis^a, Antoinette Termoshuizen^b

^aBoard member of Niketan and International education and child rights specialist
^bfounder and program coördinator Niketan

(Received 16 February 2025, Final revised version received 15 September 2025)

By searching for children’s storybooks in various countries, it was found that children in Bangladesh and other developing countries often lack access to quality storybooks, especially books that promote accepting and celebrating diversity, such as disability (Biklen & Bogdan, 1977; Blaska, 2004; Dowker, 2004). The ‘Stories for Inclusion’ project developed a first storybook, as part of a series of disability-inclusive children’s books, in Bangla and English, titled “My Name is Runa”. The book also includes an Activity Guide for more in-depth discussions and enhanced understanding. …………………………….