Educational Materials on Understanding Hearing Impairments Used in Schools and Training Programs "What Kind of Challenges Do People with Hearing Loss Face?" Wins the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award

The General Incorporated Association Sign Language Entertainment Promotion Group oioi (Higashiyodogawa Ward, Osaka City; Representative Director: Nobuhiko Okazaki) released the animated educational video “What Kind of Difficulties Do People with Hearing Loss Face?” free of charge on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 (a national holiday)to coincide with “International Day of Sign Languages,” has won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award—the highest honor—at the Reiwa 8 Digital Learning Materials Competition, organized by the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Learning Information Research Center.

This educational resource was produced with the support of 539 backers who contributed a total of 3,799,000 yen through a crowdfunding campaign conducted in 2024. The resource, created in collaboration with these supporters, has been highly recognized in a nationwide educational materials competition.

Resource Information: https://www.oioi-sign.com/hoh-edu-video/

Teaching Material Title

Excerpt from the Teaching Materials: Considering What Challenges People with Hearing Loss Face in This Situation

■ A Teaching Resource Focused on “Thinking,” Not Just “Knowing”

This teaching material features video clips depicting school and everyday life scenarios, designed to encourage participants to think for themselves about the challenges people with hearing loss might face. It was created not merely to impart knowledge, but to help participants “recognize challenges, imagine the other person’s perspective, and consider what accommodations they can provide.”Since its release in September 2025, it has been used at more than 120 educational institutions and organizations nationwide, including in school classes, faculty and staff training sessions, and corporate training programs.

Feedback from users includes comments such as: “The manual makes it easy to teach the lesson confidently, even without detailed knowledge of hearing loss”; “When used in a class with a child who has hearing loss, the students—including the child themselves—were very engaged”; and “Even in training sessions for adults, it deepened understanding, and many participants said it was their first time learning about people with hearing loss.”

■ Future Plans

Moving forward, we aim to promote the adoption of this program in schools nationwide and expand opportunities for children to learn about hearing loss.

Saturday, June 27, 2026: Class Experience Session at Shukutoku University in Chiba Prefecture

Saturday, July 18, 2026: Class demonstration session at Nara University of Education

Thursday, August 20, 2026: Case Study Sharing Session at Osaka University of Education and online

(We will invite teachers who have actually used the program in their classrooms to speak at the event)

<Production Team>

In cooperation with: General Incorporated Association “Kotoba no Kakehashi” and “Sorairo,” an association for families of children with hearing impairments

　　　 https://www.kotoba-bridge.org/

　　　 Produced using illustrations from the organization’s project “Nancho Nan Nan”

Production: KOO-KI (Kuki Co., Ltd.) https://koo-ki.co.jp/

　　　 Highly acclaimed both domestically and internationally for its anime and commercials, and known for conveying social themes

　　　 and has a proven track record in video production

<Organization Overview>

General Incorporated Association Sign Language Entertainment Promotion Group oioi (Established in 2016)

We use the power of entertainment to break down emotional barriers between hearing people and people with hearing impairments, and promote sign language and understanding of hearing impairments.

Website: https://www.oioi-sign.com/