Reimagining ableist historical settings in children's time travel fiction

Time travel, like other subgenres of science fiction and fantasy, has long been a source of escapism for adults and children alike, inviting readers to step into the past, future, or alternate realities. This paper explores the use of time travel as a narrative device for reimagining ableism in historical settings, drawing on my experiences of writing a middle grade historical time travel novel with disabled protagonists. The aim is to decentre disability as a source of narrative conflict, offering young disabled readers a hopeful, escapist story that does not erase disabled characters but embraces them. This paper argues that, when employed effectively, time travel as a narrative tool can transport contemporary disabled protagonists into reimagined versions of the past that balance historical authenticity with inclusivity and hope.