Home Catalogue Software Widgit Software and Resources Communicate: Series

2,400 new modified symbols for learners with a visual impairment

Widgit have finished a two year long research project looking at how symbols can be made more appropriate for people with a visual impairment.

The results from this are 2,400 modified symbols, based on the Widgit Symbols, and 20 extensive packs of resources, designed for use with Communicate: In Print 2 ANZ and Communicate: By Choice ANZ.

The symbols are designed to benefit those users who need symbols but find the current set visually complex or who require greater contrast.

Key design modifications

The key factors considered when modifying existing symbols were:

• line thickness
  
• the clutter of a symbol
  
• the proximity of multiple images within a symbol
  
• the colour contrast and use of colour to contextualise the symbol
  
• visual perception of an image and the ‘readability’ of the symbol

Resources provided with the symbols

There are 20 packs of resources with topics in:

• Visual Skills
  
• Numeracy Skills
  
• Speech and Language / Literacy Skills

These resources have been designed for children with a visual impairment. They will also benefit children in the early childhood, children of 5 to 7 years of age and children with speech and language or learning difficulties. These resources are not presented in any sequential order of difficulty. They have been designed to provide resources for classroom or assessment use and equally they can be modified and used as a template for your own ideas!

The resources have been designed to be printed in colour but have been rigorously tested when printed in black and white to ensure that there is good colour contrast in grey scale.

The tasks give an opportunity to assess and develop the following areas:

• Visual perception skills
  
• Visual discrimination skills
  
• Orientation
  
• Colour perception
  
• Cognition
  
• Speech and language skills
  
• Literacy skills

View more information and sample images of Widgit Symbols

“We feel that they (the modified symbols) are either good or better than the original version. Overall, the new symbols may turn out to be preferable to the originals, not just an alternate version?” – Stuart Aitken, Psychologist and Visual Impairment Specialist, CALL Edinburgh; and Sally Millar, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, CALL Edinburgh, UK

“I have to say that I think it is a great outcome of this project to see a coherent and consistent set of symbols produced that pay attention to the visual clarity that is needed by low vision symbol users.” – Steve Rose, Speech and Language Therapist, The Bridge School and Professional Training Centre, London, UK

“I prefer these symbols to the standard ones – they are simpler and therefore better for people with learning difficulties and being simpler they are also quicker to scan for people with physical difficulties. Well done.” – Jackie Stubbs, Speech and Language Therapist, North East Essex PCT NHS, UK

Requirements and ResourcesexpandClick to collapse

Prices

	Code	Media	Platform	$AUD Price	$AUD GST
	Widgit V.I. Symbols - Single Computer Licence
	WICOMPRINVI01	CD-ROM	Win	$89.00	$0.00