Inclusive education for disabled children through photography

Liu Yuyang, a freelance photographer who was awarded the Magnum Foundation's Photography and Human Rights Fellowship in 2014, does not view disability as a deficit that needs fixing. He says children are born equal, and they are entitled to look for the beauty of life whether they are physically disadvantaged or not.

Liu contacted Save the Children, a global organization for child development and protection, which has successfully piloted inclusive education programs in China for years, to use his expertise to help disabled children.

After a two-month preparation, he started his class, which has three disabled and three able-bodied children, a perfect model of inclusive education, where children can learn from each other.

From January to September last year, the 25-year-old photographer offered the students several sessions running from two to five days. Photo exposure, composition and other techniques were taught in the class. Sometimes they went to the countryside to practice shooting, and Liu would leave cameras for his students after class to let them express their artistic talents freely.

"I also organized photo exhibitions to encourage their artistic exchanges and peer review," Liu says.

"In the process, they learned how to participate and share. Sometimes the work could be done only by cooperation."

Yongzhi surprised his teacher with his people-focused photographs-elderly women shepherding, schoolgirls playing basketball and men walking donkeys. His images show harmony between motion and stillness.

Another student, 7-year-old Lu Youlin, took pictures of his elder brother on a pathway near their home.