Human Flourishing In The Lives Of Children Living With a Disability

Abstract

Disability is usually regarded as a barrier that prevents human flourishing. In Politics, Aristotle makes the claim that there should be “a law that no deformed child shall live”. Children living with disabilities face many challenges in their external and internal environment. The way in which we approach children with disabilities is often different from how we would approach nondisabled children. But disability is not a barrier that prevents human flourishing. What should be considered instead are the barriers that we, as a society as well as religious communities, put up to prevent children with a disability from flourishing. The author argues that children with disabilities are not only allowed to live, but also capable of living well and even flourishing. The author explores and critically reflects on human flourishing in children living with a disability from the context of the interdisciplinary field of Christian Spirituality and Healthcare.