May 6, 2023: Yiru Chen ‘Calling of the Hands: Supporting Disability Advocacy with Artivism’
Image description: Yiru Chen, an Asian-appearing person, is sitting by the window and reading a book. Her dark hair is styled into a bob, with some hairs falling down her face, her red lips are slightly open. She wears a long-sleaved shirt with black and white strips.
Born in Shanghai, China, Yiru Chen (NYU Tisch 19’) is a strong advocate for sign language education and accessible, inclusive arts. She currently works as a classroom teacher at St.Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in Brooklyn, serving students who are Deaf and or with additional disabilities.
Image description: A cover image of “Handspace,” a thesis film by Yiru Chen. The image looks like animation done in warm, beige colors. It shows long thin intertwined fingers, a nail on one finger is painted red. Behind the fingers there is a blurred profile of a person with black bangs.
About the talk:
Sharing her journey from a film director to a full-time classroom teacher at a deaf school, Yiru Chen talked about her experiences learning Chinese and American Sign Language, working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing talents and students, while connecting her educational practices with her artistic devotions. Yiru discussed how Artivism can support disability advocacy and can help people become allies for the disability community.
You can view the event’s recording here.