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The Voices of Children

Interlude 1 highlights the voices of children as they grapple with the issue of disability in middle childhood. As part of her ethnographic work in a Japanese elementary school, Dr. Kayama, who uses a wheelchair, worked as a teaching assistant for children with disabilities. She was invited to discuss disabilities as a guest teacher in grades 1 to 6. Educators viewed Dr. Kayama’s experiences as important opportunities for children to learn about disabilities and social justice from “real life.” This interlude presents children’s responses to Dr. Kayama’s narratives here as a glimpse of a child’s-eye view of disability and stigmatization. It also discusses how Dr. Kayama developed trusting relationships with adults and engaged children in discussions of disability, a highly sensitive topic in Japan.