Symbols and literacy, 2 Grants in the UK

Please excuse cross posting.
This is an update on current activity in the UK regarding literacy and
the use of symbols.
I was not involved in either grant application.
Though I do hope to be involved in a 'free source' proposal & project,
quite possibly related to web browsing.

--

email client:
The European Commission is funding a pan european project 'ALDICT': 
"Giving independent, text-free, access to e-mail for symbol users."
A commercial product is now available:
http://www.widgit.com/s_intercomm.htm
Symbols are not transferred rather text equivalents are exchanged, and
symbols of the users choice used.

-- 

Educational publishing:
Our college has received a grant  for a project:
"Development of use of symbol based software in delivery of entry level
curriculum"

another extract:
"In the last year Symbol 2000 has become available in the college. It
has shown that there is enormous potential to exploit this software to
increase access to students with poor literacy skills"

Symbol 2000 is the generic software developed by http://www.widgit.com
and required to run their email client.

---

I hope this alleviates some members concerns regarding the validity and
necessary benefits involved in using symbols to develop literacy.

There are further details if desired. I should also add that there are
many other products in the market, and that I am not advocating the use
of this product in particular.

jonathan chetwynd
jc@signbrowser.org.uk
special needs teacher &
web accessibility consultant

Received on Thursday, 14 September 2000 04:40:52 UTC