The mission of the Accessibility in Language Learning (ALL) SIG (Japanese: 言語教育のアクセシビリティ研究部会) is to provide a forum for current and potential members to share experiences, to exchange teaching practices, to discuss strategies, and to collaborate. Our goal, therefore, is to increase awareness of key developments in accessible learning among teachers and administrators in Japan. By working collaboratively, we can help to establish a more accessible language learning environment for students across all levels of education.
As a diverse field, accessibility touches on all aspects of language teaching. In April 2016, the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (EDPD: https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3052/en) became law. This change mandates that teachers and teaching organizations in Japan should become aware of relevant issues and apply resources and information towards accessibility pedagogies, materials, and strategies. This is particularly essential in order to optimize educational outcomes for learners with special needs, including psychological, physical, cognitive, and communicative disabilities.
As learner needs have become more diverse and context specific, there is no “one-size-fits-all” pedagogy for accessible language learning. Thus, it is increasingly important that teachers and institutions are aware of both the challenges as well as the available resources. We therefore welcome anyone with an interest in increasing accessibility and improving language teaching and learning across such differences. In this way, we can all contribute to the field by sharing relevant professional insights and experiences.
Activities
In addition to SIG forums at PanSIG and the JALT International Conference, we often organize mini joint forums and collaborations with different SIGs and chapters. For example, we had a Joint Mini Conference of JALT’s Accessibility in Language Learning & Lifelong Language Learning Special Interest Groups in February 2022. We also try to plan at least two presentations annually, focusing on accessible language teaching—a recent example being the Joint Mini Conference of JALT’s Accessibility in Language Learning & Lifelong Language Learning Special Interest Groups (https://jalt.org/event/accessibility-language-learning/22-02-26).
Following that, we hosted the Helping You Help Your Students: Q&A with a Japanese Counselor event alongside the Niigata chapter and the TYL SIG in March 2022 (https://jalt.org/event/accessibility-language-learning/22-03-20). In addition, we co-sponsored the Active Allyship in ELT alongside the GALE SIG, and the Kyoto and Yokohama chapters in April 2022 (https://jalt.org/event/accessibility-language-learning/22-04-17). Besides these examples, our SIG members also often deliver presentations at regular chapter events around Japan every year.
Areas of Interest
Member research interests in our field include special needs; learner diversity; universal design; disability studies in education; alternative schools; color-blindness; accessible pedagogies for primary, secondary, and higher education; early childhood education; and social psychological differences.
Publications
The Accessibility in Language Learning Review (https://sites.google.com/view/all-sig/newsletter?authuser=0) is an online newsletter published by the ALL SIG three times a year. Regular sections include the popular column UD Tips, short articles on accessibility in practice, announcements, and reports on recent conferences and events. The newsletter is open for every member of JALT and those outside the JALT community too, in order to promote more accessible language teaching. In this way, the newsletter itself uses various accessibility tips to make itself more accessible for as many readers as possible.
Web Presence
If you would like to increase your awareness on any of the issues raised here or view an example of an accessible publication, please be sure to visit the SIG’s main website (https://sites.google.com/view/all-sig/home?authuser=0). We also regularly update the information on the ALL SIG Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/452497221874596/) as well. For those interested in joining our SIG or finding out more about what we do, please use the QR code for easy access to the Facebook page.