Adding symbols to documents for communication accessibility

To make documents communication-accessible, it’s good practice to add a small number of symbols to extract the core meaning from blocks of text.

It’s recommended that you use 3-4 symbols above each block of text or paragraph.

How much to symbolise in lesson content. This advice applies to any materials you are trying to make more communication-accessible, for both adults and children.

Methods for adding symbols to documents

Method 1: use the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint

• This works in PowerPoint for Windows.
• It’s specifically designed to make it simple to add a small number of symbols to blocks of text or paragraphs.
• Without any extra effort, you can create grids of all symbols used in a document – this can be useful for providing even more support for adaptive teaching.
• PowerPoint documents can be opened with lots of different software and on Windows, Macs, phones and tablets – so you will always be able to share your documents in a way that’s editable.
• Con: the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint cannot be installed on macs.

Method 2: Use software like Widgit online, Widgit Communicate In Print, Boardmaker

• You can make your materials directly with any of these programmes.
• You may need to remove extra symbols. Some of these programmes will add a symbol for every word you write. This will probably be too many symbols.
• These programmes have less features than programmes like PowerPoint.
• You might not be able to share documents created with these programmes in a way that is editable by people who haven’t purchased the symbolising software.

Method 3: Use commercial software such as Widgit online or Boardmaker with whatever software you use for making materials

1. In your document, type text ensuring that you have left some space between blocks of text to insert symbols.
2. Choose three or four key words from a block.
3. Type the key words into your symbols software: for better results, set the symbols to appear larger.
4. Copy and paste the images from your symbols software into your document:
   • Windows:
     • Copy the set of images: hold down windows-button shift and “s” then release.
     • Drag the mouse across the screen to select the images.
     • Paste the images into your document: ctrl and “v”.
   • Mac:
     • Copy the set of images: hold down ctrl shift cmd and “4” then release.
     • Drag the mouse across the screen to select the images.
     • Paste the images into your document: cmd and “v”.

Method 4: Use free symbols with whatever document software you are using

Use one of these free sources of symbols and copy and paste them into your document. Ensure you only use a small number of symbols above each block of text.

• Arasaac – over 10,000 symbols available in multiple languages
• Global Symbols – symbols from various symbol sets and multiple languages