Diversity in YA text
‘Diversity’ includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) peoples, gender diversity, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex (LGBTI) people, and people with *disabilities.
Diversity matters because Australia is a diverse nation and our stories should be as well. All YA readers should be able to find themselves in stories, and all YA readers should be able to find other people’s cultures, identities and experiences in stories too.
So we need stories about diverse Australians, and we need to support diverse Australian voices to tell their stories!
*Consider this a broad definition of disability, including (but not limited to); physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological and addiction. We also include the social model of disability – those systemic barriers, negative attitudes and exclusions by society (purposely or inadvertently) that are the main contributory factors in disabling people. This can be done through stereotyping, marginalizing, and generally when society fails to take account of and include people regardless of their individual differences.