Galia's Dad Is in a Wheelchair

Galia is a young girl from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, who likes to ride her bike, dance, and spend time with her father, Grald, who has muscular dystrophy and has been in a wheelchair since he was a young boy. Despite his disability, Grald received a masters degree from Harvard University, served as President Michel Martellys Secretary of State with the disability portfolio, and enjoys many of the same activities with his daughter as other dads. During his five years in public office, Secretary Grald Oriol Jr. recognized his countrys critical shortage of childrens literature, particularly related to disability, and encouraged his friend and adviser James English to create a childrens book for Haiti, which has an estimated one million persons with disabilities, a number that increased significantly following the 2010 earthquake. Galias Dad Is in a Wheelchair aims to counter negative stereotypes and stigmas surrounding disability and is believed to be the only childrens book on the subject in Haiti available in Creole, French, and English. The books positive messages, which promote disability awareness and close parent-child relations, are universal and extend to general readers beyond the small Caribbean island nation. Teddy Keser Mombrun, a political cartoonist for Haitis largest newspaper, Le Nouvelliste, used Haitis unique color palette and landscapes to create illustrations for the book.