Volunteers for the Visually Impaired (VVI) supports a variety of activities in English aimed at encouraging education, cross-cultural exchange, and friendship with the visually impaired community. Established in 1975, VVI has pioneered English programs that respond to the needs of visually impaired students and adults. In 2025, VVI is commemorating its 50th year of service to visually impaired students and adults.
We are planning two special events this year:
- “Life is Climbing”: Documentary film viewing and Talk Event. Saturday, April 19 from 2-4 pm at Arcadia Ichigaya. Click here to read about the event.
- VVI 50th Anniversary Charity Concert on Thursday, November 6 from 7-9 pm at Sumida Triphony Hall. Please save the dates and plan to attend.
VVI’s current programs are:
- At the Japan Vocational Development Center for the Blind and Low Vision (JVDCB), CWAJ volunteers conduct English conversation classes to help visually impaired adults improve their employment opportunities.
- The English Conversation Gathering (ECG) is a social get-together held about three times a year to provide visually impaired people with the opportunity to enjoy English conversation through interesting cross-cultural programs.
- The Tsukuba Mock Interview Program is where VVI cooperates with the High School at the Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired, University of Tsukuba to help students prepare for the EIKEN English Proficiency Tests.
- The English Conversation Partners (ECP) is a one-on-one English conversation program between native English-speaking CWAJ volunteers and interested Tsukuba High School students.
- The VVI Newsletter, distributed in Braille and electronic format three times a year in Japanese, includes pertinent information about CWAJ and VVI programs.
- VVI also collaborates with other CWAJ programs that benefit the visually impaired. The Scholarship for the Visually Impaired (SVI) offers a one-year scholarship to visually impaired male and female university students. Hands-on Art takes place at the annual CWAJ Print Show, where our visually impaired guests can enjoy tactile prints chosen from the show.
