Dwarfs invite their autistic students to their wedding ceremony

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For a little Chinese couple, Saturday was one of the biggest days of their lives, a time to celebrate their romance with an unusual group of friends.

Li Haimin and Fei Yongling, from Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan Province, both have forms of dwarfism, standing at 1.48 meters and 1.25 meters respectively.

Photo via Heitu Photography

Li and Fei are autism therapists. They invited their students and the students’ parents, as well as colleagues at the special needs center where they work, to their wedding ceremony, where the bride and groom were both dressed in traditional Chinese wedding outfits.

The wedding ceremony. /Photo via dahe.cn

The duo met online and fell in love three years ago. Fei told Chinanews that they were happy to find respectable jobs in which they could help other people with disabilities.

Li Haimin (left) and Fei Yongling (right) play with autistic children at the special needs center. /Photo via Heitu Photography

They talk a lot with their students about how society views people with dwarfism and autism, and about the challenges they share being accepted by society.

"We want to accompany these children with autism through their lives, dedicating ourselves to special education to thank the people who have loved and cared for us," Li said.

Li (right) gives a handmade clay sculpture to Fei (left) as part of their wedding ceremony. /Photo via dahe.cn

The clay sculpture Li sent to Fei. /Photo via dahe.cn

No official data on the number of autistic children in China is available. However, the country is taking action to tackle a shortage of professionals trained in the skills needed to teach disabled students.

By 2020, at least one special education school should be set up in regions that have a population of more than 300,000 and a considerable number of disabled children, according to a plan issued by the Ministry of Education and six other ministries in July.

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