Vulnerability and Children with Disabilities: Vision from a Chinese Context

ABSTRACT Vulnerability theory challenges the traditional notions by emphasizing the universality and specificity of vulnerability, thereby offering a nuanced understanding of children with disabilities. By applying this theory, this study evaluates relevant Chinese legislation, policies and practical approaches to these children while emphasizing the need for contextual adaptation. Drawing from Fineman's framework, an analysis is conducted across micro‐embodied and macro‐embedded dimensions. The micro‐embodied dimension recognizes the universality of childhood while regarding disability as a particularized experience. The macro‐embedded dimension focuses on primary institutions, including family, education, and social welfare systems, and assesses their role in alleviating vulnerability and building resilience. This paper concludes by underscoring the crucial role of the state in ensuring comprehensive support for all children, emphasizing the necessity of strengthening foundational systems to achieve meaningful inclusivity and justice for children with disabilities.