LO 8

Sara Hendren is an artist, researcher, and professor based in Cambridge, Massachussetsin Colledge of Engineering. She is a self-described “humanist in tech” who focuses on the human body and the politics of disability.
My interest in Hendren was spark because of my current studies in design; the major requires us to take design theory/research classes that include design for equity and inclusivity. Design for disability is something that has been discussed in passing and seeing Hendren’s work focused on research and design for disability is a wonderful way to see disability-focused work outside of the classroom.
I particularly enjoyed seeing her project on dancing wheelchair ramps, a project constructing a series of ramps into a stage for Alice Sheppard to dance on. The project was worked on in collaboration with a physics class to study and work with the ramp’s affordances for choreography.
Sara’s presentation takes us not from an idea to a finished product, but the opposite, showing us the final project, and slowly working backward to its inception.