“Much of our everyday language is casually ableist, and this translates to ableist language in novels, whether the novel features disabled characters or not. Sometimes, these words are intentionally included to make a point. Other times, the author uses them unthinkingly, perhaps not even aware that certain terms are ableist in the first place.”
Over on the Disability in KidLit blog, Corinne Duyvis and Kayla Whaley offer an excellent introduction to disability terminology and advice on what to look for when evaluating children’s literature.