Dear Members,
First, I want to congratulate the members who have been elected to lead CWAJ in 2026-27. We appreciate your time and talent and look forward to working with you!
Secondly, I am so pleased to tell you that, on October 10, CWAJ received the 2025 Helen Keller Sullivan Award from the Tokyo Helen Keller Association.
“This award was founded to provide the blind people with an opportunity to express their gratitude to such sighted people as Miss Anne Mansfield Macy Sullivan who have made contributions to the self-independence and the betterment of lives of the visually impaired people.” (Tokyo Helen Keller Association)
It is a true honor that CWAJ was selected to receive this prestigious award, especially as 2025 is the VVI’s 50th anniversary of service and support of the visually impaired community in Tokyo.
On behalf of CWAJ, Yoko Moskowitz, Nancy Tsurimaki, Masako Yanagita, Eri Nakase and I attended the heartwarming ceremony. Eri -san delivered beautiful personal remarks about her experience with CWAJ, starting as a student in high school, later receiving a CWAJ scholarship, and staying involved as a member of CWAJ, currently serving as one of the co chairs of VVI.
While I tried to convey in my remarks that CWAJ treasures this award, it was Mr. Chuji Sashida, Mr. Hideji Nagaoko, and Mr. Makoto Ogoda who addressed the audience with moving remarks about their appreciation of CWAJ. I wish the entire membership could have heard the presentations in person. The remarks were made in Japanese, but Yoko summarized the main points for me and I want to share them with you.
This award salutes CWAJ’s enduring support of the visually impaired community, and it was presented with most sincere appreciation.
Please read the summary below. It will give you a sense of the warmth and friendship that was in the room that day.
Onward and upward!
Heidi
Summary of Remarks by the Tokyo Helen Keller Sullivan Association at the Award Ceremony by Yoko Moskowitz
I was deeply moved by the words by Mr. Sashida, Mr. Nagaoka, and Mr.Ogoda, and I’d like to share what they said.
Mr. Sashida recommended CWAJ for this award because of our long-standing relationship with the visually impaired community. When there were no no-loan scholarships available in Japan, CWAJ was the first to offer such support. This financial aid was truly helpful for them.
However, what touched them most was not only the financial support but also the warmth and kindness shown by CWAJ members. Many organizations provide financial assistance, but the friendship and personal connection we offer make CWAJ unique. That is one of the reasons they chose to recommend us for this award. Mr. Ogoda shared a similar sentiment. Even after receiving his scholarship, he received personal phone calls from CWAJ members asking how he was doing. Mr Nagaoka expects us to establish good relations and create an environment in which people can understand them.
I believe the personal touch is one of our greatest assets, and I sincerely appreciate every member who has dedicated their time and heart to building these meaningful relationships. Eri-san’s personal experience with ECG was particularly inspiring. I’m not sure who first introduced or recruited her, but she is truly one of our greatest treasures.
International exchange and understanding are among the three pillars of CWAJ. At the same time, our long-standing relationship with the visually impaired community has opened our eyes and broadened our perspective of the world.
From today’s ceremony, I learned that they appreciate a personal relationship with CWAJ. This is something that is being lost in today’s world. I cannot cover everything that they said.
Masako Yanagita added: In Mr. Sashida’s remarks referring to awardees in the past, he mentioned there were a few cases where awards were given to non-Japanese individuals, and that it is the first time to a multinational (25!) organization, characterizing this year’s award. He also mentioned that CWAJ scholars play active and important parts in various fields.
