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Sessions /
Building an Accessibility Support Network #1224

Sat, May 15, 09:00-10:30 JST | Zoom 6
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As learner needs become more apparent, diverse and complicated, teachers’ resources and strategies need to reflect these changes. The Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (2016) mandated the provision of equal educational opportunities for all learners, including those with special needs. University education is no exception. JASSO (2020) reported that the percentage of students with special needs in higher education rose by 50% in the last five years. This increase has started to raise the awareness among language teachers of inaccessibility to resources and that their teaching methods need to be modified accordingly. Even as LMS and online learning have improved accessibility and moved towards the creation of a virtual ‘barrier free’ classroom, there remains a strong need for support and collaboration. This forum will relate individual stories and experiences to a needs analysis framework for the purpose of assessing contexts and sharing strategies and resources. By creating a support network and database of resources, experiences and expertise, educators can work together to address the diversity of needs reflected in today’s classroom. The goal of this forum is to build on the establishment of an accessibility support network for language teachers and school administrators.

Ryota Moriya

Ryota Moriya

Otaru University of Commerce
Ryota Moriya is currently a lecturer in the Glocal Education Division of the Center for Glocal Strategy at Otaru University of Commerce. He has a PhD in international studies. His research interests include color-blindness, disability studies in education, accessibility in language learning, and Foucauldian genealogical discourse analysis.
Natsuki Suzuki

Natsuki Suzuki

Aoyama Gakuin University
Natsuki Suzuki teaches three different public elementary schools in Tokyo and is on the cusp of being awarded her master’s degree from the English Department of Aoyama Gakuin University. She researches the type and nature of motivation that is most effective for supporting children’s successful learning, both in the classroom and beyond. Her research interest also includes storytelling, music and magic as ways to teach, inspire and make children smile.
Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Burke

Gifu Women’s University
I'm the Publications Chair of the Accessibility in Language Learning SIG. I’m interim the issue of how classrooms can be more inclusive of students and staff with learning differences by using neuroscience based ideas and listening to the learners’ experiences.
Andrew Reimann

Andrew Reimann

Aoyama Gakuin University
Andrew Reimann is an associate professor and language program coordinator in the English Department at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo. He has a PhD in applied linguistics, focusing on intercultural communication and materials design. He teaches classes on comparative culture and intercultural communication. His research interests include raising cultural awareness, communication strategies, and media literacy. Recent publications include Culture Studies Handbook, Culture in Context (Intergraphica Press, 2016) and Humor for Cross Cultural Analysis (TESOL, 2017).