Big World (小小的我): Why Stories Like Liu Chunhe’s Need To Be Told – The REALNESS In This Raw Storytelling Of Life With Cerebral Palsy And All That It Entails

Representation in media matters; truly, truly matters. If you read my very previous post with Survival Of The Thickest’s Mavis Beaumont and what she’s represented to me and women like me, you’ll know exactly what I mean by that. Mavis represented women everywhere whose bodies don’t fit society’s norm and her fighting for her rights to be a part of making it a norm. I’m excited to see how she’ll continue to do that in season 3.

Mavis represented plus-sized women in the world of the fashion industry. She’d built her entire life around styling and creating confidence in women surrounding their bodies. And while that’s some very beautiful shit (no sarcasm here whatsoever), it made me wish there was more of a representation on disabled bodies.

Disabled bodies are frequently misrepresented in media and society through harmful stereotypes that depict them as objects of pity, inspirational figures, or villains, rather than complex individuals. Often portrayed by non-disabled actors, these caricatures reinforce ableism, suggest a need to be “fixed,” and minimize the reality of living with a disability. To break it down more thoroughly:

Key Aspects of Misrepresentation:

• The “Tragic Victim” or “Hero”: Disabled people are often shown as either helpless, requiring pity, or as extraordinary for simply existing, which perpetuates a narrow view of disability.

• Villainy and Disfigurement: Media often links physical differences or disabilities with evilness, using scars or visible impairments to signify a character’s moral failings.

• Lack of Authentic Voice: Representations are usually designed from an outsider’s perspective, lacking authentic input from the disabled community, which leads to inaccurate stereotypes.

• Medicalization: Disabled bodies are often viewed primarily through a medical lens, focusing on the impairment rather than the person, which reinforces the idea that they are “broken”.

• Underrepresentation: Despite a large global population, disabled individuals are rarely represented accurately in mainstream media, or they are portrayed by able-bodied actors. 

Impact of Misrepresentation:

• Reinforces Ableism: These tropes contribute to social prejudice, discrimination, and the marginalization of disabled people.

• Marginalization: It denies disabled people agency in their own narratives.

• Perpetuates Negative Stereotypes: It fosters the idea that disabled lives are less valuable. 

Efforts to change this involve promoting more authentic, diverse representations that show disabled individuals as complex, nuanced people. Hollywood, for one, is only now starting to be inclusive of people with disabilities. And nevertheless, there’s still a long way to go in shedding a positive light on the life of disabled person.

The representation seen in Hollywood of people with disabilities is flawed, to say the least. It mostly has to do with the writing material of shows and movies. The thing about life with a disability is that unless you live that life, you don’t understand it. No matter how much you try to do so, you just won’t. It’s more than just about it being an ableist thing that happens. It’s the fact of not being knowledgeable.

The perfect example of that was the portrayal of Artie Abrams from Glee, played by Kevin McHale. As a disabled person myself, I didn’t know whether I should feel disappointed or disgusted while watching the show and his character arc. More particularly, it was season 1 episode “Dream On” that really pissed me off. In the episode, Artie is dreaming about what he truly desires. In the dream he’s in a mall in his wheelchair when he abruptly realizes that he has the ability to walk; suddenly he’s able to carry out a very intense, choreographed dance routine.

This choice by the writers suggests that Artie’s true desire was to be able to walk and have the ability of an able-bodied person. Artie’s character arc was questionable because it sent the message to disabled viewers, especially the younger viewers that the show targeted, that they should have a desire to be able-bodied. Glee’s young viewers, who are mainly exposed to disability in their consumption of media, received a negative example of what aspirations a disabled person might have.

That’s just not the case. In my own life as a disabled person, I never wished to be able-bodied. On the contrary, I wished to live the best life I ever could in spite of my disability. I wished to be able to achieve everything I aspired to in spite of my disability; maybe even because of it. I wanted to fall in love. I wanted to get an education. I wanted to obtain a career. I wanted to have children. I wanted to drive a car. I wanted to live independently. I wanted to continually grow as a person. I wanted all things that are mostly taken for granted. Those things that I listed are all things that are on the checklist for life’s goals and ambitions for most people.

What most people fail to realize is that being able to do all that is a privilege. Society has conditioned itself to believe that people with disabilities aren’t capable to do all those things; to live the best they can. The reality is this: The able-bodied will never be able to understand what it’s like to live as a disabled person because this world is made for them and them only. I’ve always needed to work 10 times harder than an average person yo achieve the smallest of wins. But nevertheless, I did. I have. And I will. I will always achieve any goal I set my mind to.

My son loves Work It, the 2020 Netflix movie starring Sabrina Carpenter, which also ironically features Michelle Buteau in a small but very funny role. There’s a small little segment in the film where a group of physically disabled people dance in a freestyle. There are ones using crutches, ones without limbs, ones using wheelchairs, and so on. The crowd watches the dancers and happily cheers for them. Carpenter’s character wanted to show the dancers to her coach, who stopped professional dancing after his knee injury, to show him that the only person that was limiting him from dancing was himself. It was literally just 15 seconds scene of the entire movie; maybe even less than that. But it was an oh-so-fucking important scene. It showcased not only physically disabled people dancing – something most able-bodied people would see as a small act. For a physically and/or chronically disabled person, doing such a small thing as dancing means everything. It means that the disabled person doing it isn’t limiting themselves to society’s views of them. And that’s exactly what I tell my son whenever that particular scene comes on.

That particular scene is significant because it challenges traditional aesthetic norms of dance, fosters social inclusion, and empowers performers by redefining the “capable” body. It transforms the perspective from pity to admiration by showcasing the unique, expressive, and often technically skillful movements of disabled individuals, according to a 2020 report from Access Living. To break it down more thoroughly:

Key aspects of the significance of this scene include:

• Redefining Beauty and Normalcy in Dance: Traditional dance prizes a “sleek, perfect, flawless” body. Dancing with disabilities breaks this, forcing audiences to confront and appreciate different forms of movement—such as using wheelchairs as an “extension of the body” or incorporating mobility aids into choreography.

• Empowerment and Agency: Rather than being objects of pity, the dancers are portrayed as artists in control, often defying stereotypes and demonstrating that their bodies are capable of artistic expression, joy, and mastery.

• Inclusion and Social Connection: These scenes often highlight “physically integrated dance,” where disabled and non-disabled dancers work together, showcasing collaboration and shared humanity.

• Challenging the “Ableist Gaze”: Such scenes, particularly in films, disrupt the viewer’s gaze, which usually expects to see only non-disabled bodies dancing. This forces a shift from viewing the disabled body as “lacking” to appreciating a “poetics of disability”.

• Physical and Emotional Benefits: Beyond the scene’s message, dancing is highly therapeutic for individuals with disabilities, offering physical improvements in balance and coordination, while fostering emotional expression and self-esteem. 

Contextual Examples:

• Documentaries like Everybody Dance:These showcase how children with disabilities use dance to “shake off isolation” and build confidence, emphasizing the “rhythm of inclusivity”.

• Performances like A Cripple’s Dance: These use the stage to explore the limitations bestowed by disability, transforming them into a powerful, expressive, and artistic performance.

• Work by artists like Alice Sheppard: By using a wheelchair as a “beautiful accessory” for movement, such performances prove that all movement is valid. 

More often than not, films depicted disability through lenses of pity, moral weakness, or divine punishment, reinforcing stereotypes and marginalization. This leads me to discuss Big World (also known as My Little Me or 小小的我). It’s a 2024 film starring Jackson Yee as Liu Chunhe, a man who lives with cerebral palsy. The character is based on the real-life experiences of people with cerebral palsy, including poet Gong Su. Yee’s portrayal of Liu Chunhe has been widely praised, earning him awards, and he deeply immersed himself in the role, even adopting mannerisms that he had to unlearn after filming. As a person with a disability myself, I have to just say his performance was phenomenal, and it’s unbelievable that he only had two weeks to prepare for such a role.

The character of Liu Chunhe is a resilient young man who, after his high school exams, helps his grandmother achieve her dream of performing on stage while also navigating his own aspirations for independence, dignity, and a future as an educator. The film explores themes of disability, dignity, family, and self-worth, with Chunhe striving for independence and recognition in a world that doesn’t adapt itself to people like him. Liu Chunhe is actually a real-life person whose life is inspired by the movie’s plot. He and Jackson Yee met in real-life and Yee used his mannerisms in his own role.

Of making the film, director Yang Lina said, ‘There are 80 million disabled people in China, but we seldom see them on the streets. Where have they gone? Did they make themselves invisible? Do they not want to go outside? The film explores a group of small and unnoticed individuals in a big world.’ This isn’t just a disability occurring in China, but worldwide. Approximately 17 to 18 million people worldwide are living with cerebral palsy (CP), which is the most common motor disability in childhood. Global prevalence is estimated at 1.5 to over 4 per 1,000 live births, with higher rates often found in low- and middle-income countries due to limited prenatal and newborn care. To break things down more thoroughly:

Global Prevalence and Impact

• Total Affected: Roughly 17–18 million individuals of all ages live with CP globally.

• Birth Rate: Estimates range from 1 to over 4 cases per 1,000 live births.

• Regional Disparities: While high-income countries report roughly 1.6–2.5 cases per 1,000 births, rates can exceed 5 per 1,000 in parts of Africa and South Asia.

• Childhood Cases: Over 760,000 children and adults have CP in the U.S. alone.

• Extensive Impact: An additional 350 million people are estimated to be connected to someone with CP as family or caregivers. 

Key Trends and Demographics

• Causes: The prevalence is higher for children born prematurely or with low birth weight.

• Types: Roughly 80%–83% of cases are spastic cerebral palsy.

• Diagnosis: Most children are diagnosed between ages 1 and 3.

• Gender: Boys are diagnosed more often with CP than girls.

• Mobility: More than 50% of children with CP can walk independently, while about 41% have limited mobility. 

While prevalence in some high-income regions has shown slight declines due to improved neonatal care, the overall global burden remains significant, particularly in developing nations. 

Even though Liu Chunhe have the same disabilities, our stories of living with it aren’t one and the same. They’re similar, yes. But not the exact same. Our disabilities don’t even look the same. I have a milder case of the disability itself. And nevertheless, I resonated with him so much. In a twisted way, I saw myself in him. Just like Liu Chunhe, I felt unseen; like I didn’t belong in the world; like I had no place in it. I questioned every single thing in my life and every aspect of it. I, too, had a strained relationship with my mother, though for very different reasons. She was never ashamed of me like Liu Chunhe’s mother was, and she always believed in me and encouraged me to face my hardships heads on, unlike Liu Chunhe’s mother, who barely even looked at him without feeling disgust or anger at what was in front of her. But my disability did have effect on her well-being, which gravely affected our mother-daughter relationship; still does.

The end of Big World saw Liu Chunhe get into college. It also saw him get rejected by Yaya, a woman he met during a choir group rehearsal. They became friends and started spending time together. Yaya’s presence and interest in knowing him better brought Liu Chunhe joy, and he started dreaming of a future with her. During one of their outings, Liu Chunhe mustered up the courage to hold Yaya’s hand. However, she left without any explanation. Liu Chunhe understood Yaya’s unspoken words and realized she didn’t have romantic feelings for him. The duo never met or spoke to each other ever again after that night.

This type of rejection was nice to see; even refreshing to see. It happens more than people realize. Whether someone is disabled or not, it happens. But that wasn’t the point. Not in Liu Chunhe’s story. Instead, the point was him being brave enough to initiate a romantic gesture with a woman he grew to love, and not only that, but him being okay with being rejected. It was about him accepting the fact that he won’t be liked by everyone in his life but still not being afraid to try. It was about him having the courage to face the world even though his own mother didn’t believe that he could.

The true essence of Liu Chunhe’s story is a tale of a young man’s journey to believe in himself and having the courage to live in a world that has a hard time adapting to people like him. The movie itself has made a big difference for the betterment of our nation. It was China’s first film to significantly promote the cause of accessibility. Following its release, the production team and public institutions launched the “Moss Flower Pact” on January 1, 2025, aimed at helping individuals with impairments participate equally in social life. The pact calls for employers, educational institutions, interest groups, and public service providers to offer fair opportunities for employment and education to people with impairments. Organizations or individuals that join commit to removing barriers to work, learning, and living, thereby supporting the advancement of accessibility. Displaying or using the Moss Flower symbol signifies a voluntary commitment to this initiative. The pact seeks to raise awareness about individuals with impairments and encourage collective efforts to create an accessible environment. Its implementation will enhance social participation for people with disabilities and promote equity and progress in China.

The film also inspired people with cerebral palsy to share their stories on social media. One RedNote user posted, “Maybe you think our life is hard, but for us this is normal, this is our life… We don’t think it’s a hardship.” In other videos, RedNote users with cerebral palsy share their makeup routines, parenthood stories, cosplays, food recipes, dating vlogs, and much more. And here I am with a blogging website writing about my own story of living with cerebral palsy.

I wholeheartedly agree with the RedNote user. Life with cerebral palsy isn’t a hardship. People around us assume that it is. I remember one instance where my mom’s friend said to her that had she not known me and what my life is like with cerebral palsy, she wouldn’t have ever known how hard it is to live life with it. In actuality, it’s not that hard at all. It’s all I’ve ever known. I don’t know a life without it. I don’t know a life as an able-bodied person. I don’t know what it’s like to have two hands that look and work in the way. Nor do I have legs that work in the same way. I don’t know what it’s like not to limp.

So no, it’s not that life with cerebral palsy is hard. It’s that society makes life with cerebral palsy harder than it should be. That’s exactly why movie such as Big World is so important. It shows that people with cerebral palsy are just as capable of anyone else. It shows that people with cerebral palsy are just as hard-working, if not more; are just as deserving; are just as worthy; are just as valuable; are fucking badasses. It shows that one’s disability isn’t a death sentence. And that’s exactly why more movies and TV shows such as this NEED to be made.