>>> WELCOME BACK.
IN A WORLD THAT'S SO DIVIDED
BY DIFFERENCES, OUR NEXT
GUEST MAKES IT A POINT TO
PROMOTE A MESSAGE OF
INCLUSION, AND ONE WAY IS
THROUGH HER NEW BOOK.
HERE IS AUTHOR ADIBA NELSON.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT
MESSAGE THAT YOU'RE
PROMOTING WITH THIS BOOK.
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO WRITE
"MEET CLAIRE BELLE BLUE"?
>> I HAVE A DAUGHTER, AND
SHE HAS CEREBRAL PALSY.
I WAS LOOKING FOR BOOKS WE
COULD READ TOGETHER, WE WENT
TO BARNES & NOBLE, I
COULDN'T FIND A BOOK WITH A
CHARACTER WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS.
THERE WERE SOME, BUT THE
CHARACTER KIND OF TOOK A
BACK SEAT TO THEIR
DISABILITY, AND THAT WAS
BOTHERSOME TO ME, BECAUSE MY
KID IS DEFINITELY MORE THAN
HER DISABILITY.
SHE'S GOT PERSONALITY,
SPUNK, PROBABLY TOO MUCH
SASS, AND I WANTED TO SEE
THAT IN A CHARACTER.
WHAT CHILD DOESN'T WANT TO
SEE THEMSELVES IN THE WORLD
THAT THEY LIVE IN?
I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING, SO
I WROTE IT.
>> THAT'S SUCCESS, FINDING
SOMETHING THAT'S NOT OUT
THERE, FINDING A NEED, AND
ACTUALLY ACTING ON IT, AND
THAT'S CLARABELLE BLUE.
IS SHE BASED ON A CHARACTER
OR A PERSON OR JUST A
CHARACTER THAT YOU MADE UP?
>> SHE IS BASED MOSTLY ON MY
DAUGHTER.
THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME
SCENES IN THE BOOK THAT MY
DAUGHTER HAS DONE WHERE
SHE'S PUTTING UNDERWEAR ON
HER HEAD TRYING TO HELP ME
SORT LAUNDRY, SOME THINGS
I'VE DONE THAT ARE IN THE
BOOK, BUT IT'S LOOSELY BASED
ON MY DAUGHTER, BUT REALLY
IT'S BASED ON ALL KIDS.
BECAUSE ALL KIDS LIKE TO
PLAY, WANT TO PLAY.
IT'S THE JOY OF CHILDHOOD,
AND WHETHER YOU HAVE A
DISABILITY OR NOT, YOU'RE
STILL A CHILD, YOU STILL
HAVE THE SAME DESIRES AT ALL
KIDS.
>> ALONG THOSE LINES, WOULD
YOU SAY THIS BOOK IS FOR
ANYONE?
>> YES, FOR GRANDMAS,
GRANDMAS, COUNSELORS,
DOCTORS, ANYONE.
WHEN YOU HAVE A DISABILITY
OR NOT, WE CAN ALL BENEFIT
FROM THE MESSAGE OF
INCLUSION AND HOW WE CAN ALL
CHANGE THE WORLD IF WE JUST
ALL INCLUDE EACH OTHER AND
FIND WAYS TO BE INCLUSIVE.
>> THERE'S THAT WORD, I USED
IT AT THE TOP.
IT'S A STRONG WORD, TO BE
INCLUSIVE, BUT HOW WOULD YOU
DEFINE IT?
>> THE DEFINITION OF
INCLUSION IS TO LITERALLY
INCLUDE EVERYONE, EVERYONE
HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE, SO
YOU FIND A WAY.
THE TABLE HAS SIX CHAIRS,
YOU BRING IN A SEVENTH.
YOU BRING IN A STOOL, A PEN
-- A BENCH.
YOU CAN HAVE INCLUSIVE
PLAYGROUNDS, YOU CAN HAVE
INCLUSIVE WATER PARKS.
WE ACTUALLY JUST WERE IN
SAN DIEGO, AND WE POSTED A
VIDEO ON OUR CLARABELLE BLUE
SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE WHERE WE
SHOWED CHILDREN PLAYING
INCLUSIVELY IN THE WATER
PARK WITH MY DAUGHTER.
THEY WERE HAVING A BLAST.
THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS, IF
YOU THINK ABOUT IT, AND THEN
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
YOURSELF.
THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO
PUT IT.
THAT MESSAGE OF INCLUDING
PEOPLE, INCLUSION.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE WHAT'S
CALLED AN INCLUSIVE READING.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT
THIS.
WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE
PIMA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
SYSTEM, WE ARE DOING A
READING AT EL RIO LIBRARY
AUGUST 2ND, AND I HAVE AN
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
INTERPRETER WITH ME WHO IS
ALSO A CHILD, FOR CHILDREN
DEAF.
SO WHILE SEEING THE BOOK,
YOU CAN SEE IT PERFORMED IN
SIGN LANGUAGE.
THEN WE'LL DO AN ACTIVITY
ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD
ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL KIDS.
>> WHAT AN EXPERIENCE FOR
KIDS, I CAN IMAGINE THEM
DOWN THE LINE, THINKING I
WENT TO THIS EVENT, I GOT TO
SEE IT INTERPRETED IN FRONT
OF ME BY SOMEONE WHO KNOWS
A.S. L. WHO IS MY SAME AGE.
I LOVE THAT IDEA.
>> IS THIS BOOK IN SCHOOLS?
>> IT IS IN A FEW SCHOOLS I
KNOW, SUNRISE DRIVE
ELEMENTARY, WHICH MY
DAUGHTER ATTENDS, IN VAIL.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS SCHOOLS
HERE IN TUCSON.
AND IT MAY BE WHERE PEOPLE
HEARD ABOUT THE BOOK AND
MAYBE ORDERED OFF OF AMAZON
FOR THEIR CLASSROOM.
>> I THINK EVERY CLASSROOM
SHOULD HAVE THIS, BECAUSE IT
SPREADS A MESSAGE THAT WILL
BE IMPORTANT FOR DEALING
WITH OTHER KIDS AND DEALING
FORWARD IN THEIR FUTURE.
ADIBA, THANK YOU FOR GIVING
LIFE.