Yang Cui, raising the bar in Changchun

In a country where people with any kind of disability (deaf, blind, physical, etc) are grouped together, often left out, and provided with minimal opportunities, there stands a proud deaf woman out to make change.

In China, deaf people are not allowed to drive. There are no interpreting services or interpreting schools, only translators who are often friends or family. Job and education opportunities are limited. For example, deaf university students can only choose their major from four options: painting, scroll calligraphy, animation/comics, or graphic design. (Blind students only have the option of massage and acupuncture).

This is not the wish of many deaf students, but this is what they are offered. The perception from the education system is that deaf people are visual and therefore should be limited to study visual arts. Yang Cui, a 23 year old student at Changchun University Special Education College, has a dream to make change. Her university is the first of it’s kind in China, beginning in 1987. Her dream is to help expand more options for deaf students, because when given the opportunities, deaf people can do anything.

Yang Cui recently received a community award as an up and coming deaf leader. She is a “go-to” person among her peers, and a communication facilitator within her university. We had the opportunity to spend five days with Yang Cui and witness the impact she is making as a leader of her school, her community, and her country. Next month Yang Cui will make her way to England for the PEN-International leadership conference with several other deaf leaders to come together and talk about current issues.

Keep doing what you do best Yang Cui. We are honored to have met you!