Informational
Brochure
Kaizen:
Program for New English Learners with Visual Limitations
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Contents
Meeting
Complex Challenges with Wholistic Solutions
The
Need for a Specialized Program
Challenges
in Programs for Visually-Impaired proficient English Speakers
Challenges
in ESL Programs for Sighted Students
Kaizen
means Continuous Improvement in Japanese.
Kaizen
addresses the specialized instructional needs of blind and visually-impaired
immigrants and refugees learning English as a Second Language (ESL) in the
greater-Seattle area.
The
program also provides training, consultation and support for volunteers and
professionals working with beginning, intermediate and advanced new English
learners who are blind or visually impaired.
It
is generally recognized that people with visual impairments greatly benefit from
specialized instruction in daily living skills, in reading and writing in
accessible formats, and in the use of special aids and equipment.
People who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL) also require
specialized training and educational services that take into account their needs
as second language learners. And
new English learners with visual limitations usually have needs which are
greater than and in some respects different from both the needs of Proficient
English speakers who are visually impaired or blind and those of fully-sighted
new English learners. This means
that simply adding together training, educational offerings and services
designed for proficient-English speaking visually-impaired people and those
designed for fully-sighted new English learners may not adequately meet their
needs.
Meeting
Complex Challenges with Wholistic Solutions
The chances for new English learners with visual limitations to achieve their goals and realize their full potential are therefore greatly enhanced by specialized instruction which takes into account both their needs as visually-impaired people and as new English learners, and which teaches functional oral English communication and literacy in a way that is integrated and coordinated with their learning of the other adaptive skills they need.
Kaizen is ready to help
students develop the capabilities to utilize the resources and information they
need to make decisions, advocate for themselves, take appropriate action, and
improve their life situations.
The
Need for a Specialized Program
New-comers
with visual limitations face a triple challenge, simply to begin living
independently: They need to develop
basic English proficiency, learn new adaptive skills, and learn about the new
culture. But because of the complex
interrelationship between their communication capacities and the rest of their
learning needs, this is often a greater challenge than most people realize.
Blind
and visually-impaired new-comers cannot usually rely on the visual cues which
fully-sighted new-comers can fall back on.
In order to begin to be independent, they therefore need to develop
English communication skills much earlier than sighted immigrants and refugees.
Because they cannot rely on other people's gestures, printed signs or
other visual cues in the environment, they need to quickly develop the capacity
to communicate in English when performing such basic tasks as making purchases,
paying rent and other bills, asking for and following directions for finding
streets and addresses, taking buses or accessible vans, or dealing with
accidents and emergencies.
Challenges
in Programs for Visually-Impaired proficient English Speakers
Most
programs devoted to assisting proficient English-speaking visually-impaired and
blind people rely heavily on oral English for instruction, counseling and other
services. But this is precisely the
area in which immigrants and refugees often face the greatest challenges.
Although these agencies utilize interpreters to help non-English-speaking
students at the beginning of their adaptive training, many students who have
begun this way have reported that it was a major challenge for them to learn the
new adaptive skills and understand their possible options, even with highly
competent interpreters. Not until
they became adequately proficient in English to communicate directly with their
teachers and counselors were they able to fully benefit from these programs.
Challenges
in ESL Programs for Sighted Students
Beginning
ESL courses offered to the general public depend heavily on pictures,
illustrations and other visual cues for introducing concepts and topics in the
new language. Because ESL
instructors in these programs are not generally prepared to redesign their
curricula and methods to fully integrate the needs of students with visual
limitations, these learners are often at a great disadvantage in such settings.
Blind
and visually-impaired ESL students have an extra-heavy learning burden because
they must struggle to adapt to the lack of visual cues, along with acquiring a
new language.
Moreover, because teachers in
ESL programs for fully-sighted learners are not usually familiar with how best
to utilize large print, or how to use braille, accessible computers, or other
accessible formats, they are not prepared to support these students in learning
functional literacy.
But,
without developing authentic literacy skills as part of communicating in
English, new English learners with visual limitations will not be able to take
full advantage of educational opportunities or obtain jobs paying
above-poverty-level wages.
Kaizen's
Services
Kaizen
provides new English learners with visual limitations both individual and small
group assistance in acquiring English proficiency, developing adaptive skills,
and learning about the new culture. The
program gives beginning English learners the opportunity to develop
communicative competence in the new language and familiarity with the new
culture, and prepares them for entering orientation and training programs that
serve proficient English speakers.
Along
with general "survival" English, students are given English lessons
focused on developing the basic communication skills that will enable them to
most successfully utilize the specialized services offered by state and other
agencies. To support their
beginning mobility training they are given extensive practice with the
specialized vocabulary and usage related to the subject.
This greatly accelerates their learning because it enables them to
communicate directly with mobility trainers to some degree.
Kaizen
also helps beginning and intermediate English learners by laying an English
communicative basis for acquiring a broad range of other adaptive skills.
Kaizen is also committed to
teaching authentic functional literacy. Teachers
combine lessons in English communication with instruction in reading and writing
in braille or large print, through cassette recordings, synthesized speech, and
other accessible formats. They
provide a context in which students can practice with materials and lessons that
have immediate relevance to their personal situations as handicapped people
learning a new language.
The
program offers full and systematic vocational ESL.
We support students in learning the English oral communication and
literacy skills they need for various present and future job activities.
Kaizen
combines functional literacy in accessible formats, oral communication and
student-centered lessons, to help students develop self-advocacy skills and
knowledge of their personal rights.
By
giving comprehensible English instruction relevant to their situations as people
with visual limitations, Kaizen prepares students to benefit from training and
orientation programs offered to proficient English speakers.
Kaizen
also offers students at all levels specialized and individualized exposure to
their new environments by utilizing non-visual sensory modes thoroughly and
creatively.
By
providing contexts adapted to students' use of non-visual cues, Kaizen prepares
them to learn as equals along with fully-sighted students in a variety of
settings. It also gives them
support as they participate in these programs.
Kaizen's
Staff
The
program's instructors are ESL professionals familiar with the best current
educational approaches and with the special needs of visually-impaired and blind
new English learners. They have had
broad experience teaching refugees and immigrants in a variety of academic and
community-based learning contexts.
Kaizen's
instructors are themselves authentic users of adaptive skills, including
literacy in accessible formats required by people with visual limitations.
They are therefore able to provide integrated models and practice of
literacy and other essential skills in a wholistic, meaningfully functional
manner. Such modeling is extremely important in promoting authentic
use by students.
The
program's instructors are qualified to assist counselors and others in
evaluating students' current needs and skills, and to recommend appropriate
types of specialized support.
Kaizen also offers assistance
to other professionals, groups and agencies through mentoring, consultations,
workshops and informational presentations.
Kaizen
is a non-profit corporation recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Federal
Revenue Code. Contributions to the
program are tax-deductible. Kaizen
does not exclude any person in any way from participation as student,
instructor, staff, board member, volunteer assistant, or in any other role
because of race, ethnic, political or social background.
Kaizen welcomes and invites the participation of people from all
backgrounds in furthering the purposes of the program.
KAIZEN:
Program for New English Learners with Visual Limitations
810-A
Hiawatha Place South
Seattle,
WA 98144-2824
phone:
(206) 784-5619
email:
kaizen_esl@literacynet.org
web:
http://www.nwlincs.org/kaizen/