Changing the World

This book is aimed at disabled people, their families and their support staff. It aims to increase the opportunities of disabled people to participate and contribute to their communities. 

Since the print edition of this book was been nominated by the UNESCO as a teacher resource, Yaniv has followed on to engage with educators and community builders. 

Pilot presentations to families, support staff and educators of children with disabilities have been very well received. They have engaged their audiences into a constructive and inspirational dialogue on what can be done immediately, with the resources at hand to engage disabled people and tap into their deep desire to participate and contribute. 

Yaniv Janson has been recognised as a role model through the 12 Art and Education awards he has received. His pathway was not always clear as he battled with disabilities which he combats daily by developing a visual language through his art. The youngest artist to be invited in the NZ Academy of Fine Arts, Yaniv was recently a finalist for the 2014 Artistic Achievement Attitude Awards.

Yaniv knows the transformative power of the arts, as his talent was uncovered by his teacher when he was 16 and feeling alienated from the rest of his peers. Pursuing his passion helped Yaniv transcend his disability to participate and contribute. The book also includes a teacher sequel with pointers on how to develop key competencies with students affected by communicative disabilities via the art medium. 

Following on his own passion, Yaniv developed his visual language. What is so special about autistic artists? For one, their art stands out of the crowd appealing to wide audiences. Janson's colours burst out of the canvas - as reflected in the book. His success path is a powerful message of hope to 'special needs' artists and their families - that dis-ability can be transformed into extra-ordinary ability. Autistic artists don't go down well-trodden paths so the visionary quality of their work appeals to collectors looking for the next trend. This is why Dubuffet named a whole movement "Art Brut" (the French for 'raw art') in the 1920s. 

Yaniv Janson developed his messages using visuals on canvas to express what he could not say in words - and to show pictures of our environment in a changing climate that most of us would rather avoid thinking about... In doing so, he not only challenge his own communication difficulties but transcended this condition to send a message to all of us... The book is a visual representation of Yaniv's perception of the world with some of his thoughts on environmental concerns. It relates the inspirational career of a young artist who also lives with Aspergers and epilepsy.