Disabilities Depicted in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

This essay explores how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs can be used to teach children with special needs about disabilities and promote acceptance.

Running head: DISABILITIES DEPICTED IN SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
DISABILITIES DEPICTED IN SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
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1DISABILITIES DEPICTED IN SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
At the ages from three to five, children are still at their early developmental stage. At this
age, children need proper guidance and care. Children with special needs such as Autism,
ADHD, Down’s syndrome, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, require special care and attention for the
proper development of their mental and physical faculties. This essay will outline how illustrated
fairy-tale story books, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs can be used to acquaint these
children with the various disabilities, both mental and physical. It can also be explained to them
that being differently abled is not essentially a curse.
A fiction book for children when introduced in a visual art form in the early years of the
child’s life becomes the basis of the spiritual, intellectual and emotional development of the child
(Boyakova, et al., 2017). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs read as a fairy-tale picture book, is
an easy read for children from the years, three to five. Written by the Grimm brothers, Wilhelm
and Jacob, it was first printed in the book Grimms’ Fairy Tales, originally published on 20th
December 1812 (Grimm & Grimm, 2016). It was initially known titled, “Little Snow-White”
(Grimm & Grimm, 2016). Walt Disney Company published the full-colour picture book of Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs, along with Little Golden Books (Random House) in many editions
soon after the Disney movie that aired in 1937 (Brode & Brode, 2016). It is therefore, suitable
for children aged three to five years who have special needs, such as those demonstrated by the
dwarves in the popular bed-time story.

2DISABILITIES DEPICTED IN SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
Instead of using a disability orientation, a developmental focus is used for discussing
atypical development of children as well as curricular adaptations and the encouragement of the
treatment of the students as children on a universal scale, irrespective of the learning differences
(Cook, Klein & Chen, 2015). This non-categorical approach is integrated and assumes all
children to be alike, rather than different in their early development stages. This helps in
avoiding a negative impact that occurs with the labelling of children with disability names. This
inclusive focus illustrates that the environments, intervention strategies and attitudes could be

3DISABILITIES DEPICTED IN SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
accepted in order to make all children with special needs feel included (Cook, Klein & Chen,
2015). Illustrated fairy-tale stories, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs can help in
implementing this theory in a number of ways. It is deemed necessary for such popular stories
having analysed characterisations of people with disabilities to be used to teach children about
these disabilities (Gonen, et al., 2015). It is also argued that the accurate portrayals of these
disabled characters, especially those disabilities that are frequently found in young children in
kindergarten, are necessary in these acclaimed picture books.
A major disability depicted in the Grimms’ classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is
Dwarfism. The deficiency of somatotropin or the growth hormone results in Dwarfism. Growth
Hormone Deficiency (GHD) manifests in human beings at different stages, depending on the
individual. It could develop after being born, in childhood, at puberty or in adulthood (Audi, et
al., 2013). The cause of this may be genetic, idiopathic or acquired (Audi, et al., 2013). The
seven dwarfs in the picture book all represent Dwarfism, especially which is manifested in
children. The diagnosis of GHD in children is a process with many steps including examination,
clinical history, pituitary imaging and biochemical testing (Alatzoglou, et al., 2014). Children
manifesting Dwarfism have a short neck, large head, and late development of some motor skills
such as walking, bowed legs, joint stiffness and mental retardation (Alatzoglou, et al., 2014). The
seven dwarfs in the children’s picture book, all exhibit the symptoms of Dwarfism, as mentioned
above. The dwarfs are depicted as being stunted, in comparison to Snow White, who is
considered to have perfect stature. However, they are not children, though they have the same
stature as that of a child. This stunted stature also prompted Snow White to mistake one of the
dwarfs as a child when she first met him (Brode & Brode, 2016).

4DISABILITIES DEPICTED IN SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
In addition, each of the dwarfs, Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Happy, and
Sleepy, exhibit different disorders. Doc exhibits Aphasia, which is a language recognition
disability, which are found in children at their early development stages (Leonard, 2014).
Grumpy exhibits Depression. He is constantly shown to be irritated and annoyed, which a
symptom of Depression in children. Sneezy exhibits various allergies, where he constantly
sneezes due to the allergies he has. This is observed in children who are prone to various types of
allergies such as dust and pollen. Dopey exhibits intellectual retardation and mutability, which is
also manifested in children at an early age. Bashful has Social Anxiety. A common disorder in
many children, this is, at times, mistaken to be shyness. Happy exhibits manic disorders, which
are also observed in children at early stages. Sleepy exhibits Narcolepsy, as he is shown to be
excessively sleepy during the daytime, depicted in children along with other symptoms like sleep
paralysis and hallucinations (Babiker, & Prasad, 2015).
Pre-school and kindergarten teachers can teach the children with special needs with the
help of such stories as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs about the different disabilities by
acting out the characteristics and roles of the dwarfs. It can be explained to the children that there
is nothing funny or queer in their disabilities and that there are others like them all over the
world. The children need to know that they deserve the same love and care as those without these
disabilities. Snow White’s acceptance of the dwarfs and her affection for them can be used to
normalise their disabilities and can help them accept and love themselves. Social exclusion of the
dwarfs in the forest of the picture book can also be used to show the children that they are never
alone, despite being excluded from the mainstream.
In conclusion, it can be observed from the above discussion that the illustrated children’s
storybook, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, can be used to teach children with special needs

5DISABILITIES DEPICTED IN SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
about their various disabilities. The book can also be very helpful in depicting a number of
disabilities exhibited by children at their early developmental stages. It can be used to acquaint
the children with their physical and cognitive disabilities and explain to them that it is not
necessarily a curse to be different from the mainstream.

6DISABILITIES DEPICTED IN SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
Reference List:
Alatzoglou, K. S., Webb, E. A., Le Tissier, P., & Dattani, M. T. (2014). Isolated growth hormone
deficiency (GHD) in childhood and adolescence: recent advances. Endocrine
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Audi, L., Fernández-Cancio, M., Camats, N., & Carrascosa, A. (2013). Growth hormone
deficiency: an update. Minerva endocrinologica, 38(1), 1-16.
Babiker, M. O., & Prasad, M. (2015). Narcolepsy in children: a diagnostic and management
approach. Pediatric neurology, 52(6), 557-565.
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Depiction of Disability in Illustrated Story Books. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie
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