Blissymbolics Advances in Technology

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Blissymbolics
Advances in Technology


Bliss has renewed its mission in the area of technology.. It is now committed to undertaking projects with the following objectives:

    1. Ensuring that the most up-to-date, easy to use technological tools for creating symbol boards and using symbols are available for Blissymbolics,
    2. Ensuring that no Bliss user will have to abandon the language of Blissymbolics that he or she has learned and be required to learn a new symbol system just because Bliss is not available on his or her communication device of choice,
    3. Ensuring that Blissymbolics is not rejected from consideration as a language system for an appropriate user just because there is not sufficient technological support to work with the Bliss system easily.


TOOLS FOR WORKING WITH BLISSYMBOLICS

I. Tools for creating manual Bliss boards:

There is now a choice of five programs for PCs in different languages and one program for MACs that can be used for simplifying the creation of manual Blissboards.

  1. Boardmaker (American): We are in the final stages of completing a library of Blissymbols that can be used for creating Blissboards in English.
  2. Bliss for Windows (Dutch): The Document Maker component of Bliss for Windows can be used for creating manual Blissboards in Dutch, English and many other languages. This capability is also part of the new Symbols for Windows by the same manufacturer - Handicom.
  3. WinBliss (Swedish): This program can be used for creating manual Bliss boards in Swedish or English.
  4. Mind Express (Belgian) can be used for making manual Blissboards in French or English
  5. Bliss2: This program can be used for creating manual Blissboards in French
  6. AccessBliss: This program can be used for creating manual Blissboards in English using a Macintosh computer.



II. Tools for creating on-screen Bliss displays and scanning access protocols

With the addition of a voice output capability, these following programs can be used as general purpose communication aids.

There are three programs that can be used to create on-screen Blissboards and scanning access protocols. All of these programs also have optional voice output capability and hence can be used as VOCAs

  1. WinBliss


  2. Bliss for Windows with Clicker


  3. Mind Express



III Dedicated communication aids

There are two dedicated communication aids for which Blissymbol dictionaries are available:

  1. The DynavoxCurrently there is a beta version of Blissymbols for the Dynavox. It has the full set of capabilities except that it cannot have more than one user sharing the device and the word prediction and vocabulary searches will not display Blissymbols. These limitations are not critical to most single users of the device. They will be rectified in the next release of the system.
  2. BMW on the LiberatorThis software allows advanced users of Blissymbols to take advantage of their first language, Blissymbolics, along with Minspeak and Words Strategy.



V. Bliss in the Internet age

We are developing tools and various kinds of internet based supports for those who wish the use Blissymbolics. This includes providing a central internet location where Bliss users and those associated with Bliss users are able obtain relevant information about Blissymbolics as well as be able to communicate with one another via the internet.

  1. Publishing Blissymbols on the internet: We are developing a standard "authorized" set of Blissymbols in some of the popular internet graphic formats (i.e. 'gif', 'jpeg', & bmp) for internet publication. Through an arrangement with BCI that will include monitoring of the "publication", the symbols will be made available to those who wish to publish materials containing Blissymbols on the internet, in software or in printed documents. The intention is to provide a convenient, economical and quick way for developers to obtain a correctly drawn Blissymbol. These can be distributed electronically.


  2. Bliss users communicating with one another on the internet: We have developed an easy to use e-mail program - BlissInternet ? that anyone (who has the software) can use to send and receive Blissymbols over e-mail. The development of this program has lead to collaborative work with other developers (e.g. Bliss/{Symbols} for Windows by Handicom, WinBliss by Foreningen, Furuboda,). who are working on programs to support Blissymbol communication over the internet. These programs are currently under Beta test with field trials involving adult Bliss users in Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada (Baird, 2001).


  3. The Bliss cybercommunity: One fundamental component of our renewed mission is to establish a multi-facetted internet presence to support the dissemination of information in a wide range of areas that are relevant to Bliss users. A basic site has already been set up and is operating. The plan is to undertake projects to expand it to include the following activities:
      1. Support for direct communication among Bliss users, their care givers, friends etc. via electronic forums and e-mail. The internet programs mentioned above will be used to support this activity.


      2. Parents want to know: There will be a "frequently asked questions" section of the website designed specially for parents.




  4. Bliss cybercollege: There is a great need for information and training in AAC in general and in the appropriate use of Blissymbolics in particular. The internet is an ideal medium for providing such information and training instructors quite economically over wide geographic regions. We intend to exploit this medium in series of educational activities. In addition, there will be courses for training Presenters who are certified to give Blissymbolic workshops and teach Blissymbolics to other instructors as well as course for training Monitors who can proofread and edit publications, websites and software certifying that the symbols contained in that material are correctly drawn and that the information presented about the symbols is accurate



V A Library of the writings of Bliss users.

Many users of Bliss enjoy writing and have a great deal to tell us about their experiences and views of the world. These writings are currently being assembled and published on the internet site. Apart from providing an important platform for the Bliss users themselves to speak out, they are of interest to many others - parents, other Bliss users, clinicians, etc. Although we are starting with the writings of people in Ontario, we hope eventually to have writings from Bliss users from all over the world so that we can set up sections for each country.

VI Current research projects

We have always been committed to research and development to provide needed information and communication tools related to the use of Blissymbols. This commitment continues. For example, a very recent relevant project that we have undertaken involves investigating employment opportunities for Bliss users in the AAC field.
Employment opportunities for non-speaking individuals
The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy has funded a pilot project to assess what is required (feasibility of) for non-speaking individuals to be able to create Blissboards (either manual or on-screen) for other Bliss users. The project was begun in the summer of 2001 and is ongoing. 

Planning a Communication, Language and Literacy program

A colleague asked me to send her my latest thinking regarding Blissymbolics as it is used for persons who require a substitute or supplement for speech due to a speech impairment.

The following article is based on my response.

I find myself thinking alot about Bliss as I work on my thesis. I see the value of Bliss more and more as a transition "language" between pictures and print, for all who can achieve literacy, and a longterm language for those who cannot become fluent in spelling. I am beginning to treat more seriously the distinction between spelling and reading, discovering that there are those who can use spelling very competently for communication, but who still have serious reading difficulties.

My ideal program for children who have severe speech difficulties would be an introduction to pictures at as young an age as possible, with ongoing evaluation as to when the child is ready to transfer to pictographic Blissymbols. Once the child is using some pictographic Blissymbols, I would begin adding ideographic Blissymbols to their display, and I would follow this with the teaching of letter strategies (beginning with the use of initial letters, then adding other letter strategies as the child becomes aware of their role in decoding. I would add whole words to the child's communication display whenever the word is known and can contribute to effective communication.

I would relax on whether the plural, past tense, possessive, etc., is symbolized by Bliss or by orthography - using whatever the child latches onto and uses. My goal would be emphasizing the structural aspects of Bliss in the INTRODUCTION of symbols and relating this to orthography whenever the child can grasp the concept. I would not worry if there was a mix of pictures, Bliss and print,, so long as the structural aspects of Bliss were consistently adhered to. It is the language structure and scaffolding that Bliss provides that I believe is its strength. This means that I would want the child to be aware of the past tense symbol even if he/she preferred to use "ed" after the symbol or work. The combine, opposite meaning, similar to, and sounds like, strategies would be high on my list of for mastery even while print was being worked on.

I believe we should concern ourselves with (1) the child's development of conceptual strategies to compensate for having to communicate in a cumbersome way (note having the system of choice -natural speech) and (2) the child's development of language in order to gain a metalanguage competency and a mastery of print in as many forms as possible - spelling, reading, writing. This means a strong emphasis on (1) cognitive skills and (2) phonological skills - always being aware that proficiency in the phonological domain is likely to be an area of difficulty. The development of both areas requires innovative teaching.

My desire to maintain an international standard for the system of Blissymbolics is as strong as ever, but I do not believe it should be our concern as we are working with children who are developing within an emerging literacy program! I believe Blissusers who progress to progress will appreciate the international capability of Bliss all the more after they have joined our literate community. They will have a real edge on the rest of the world as BlissNet becomes used between language groups and they can retun to their first language for interacting internationally.

So, what I am emphasizing is the needs of the learning child must come first. I firmly believe that Bliss has a strong contribution to make and that we should not be thinking of which system an individual should have, but rather, when should the three types of systems be provided to the child. Pictures, Bliss, orthography, each offer different strengths to the developing child when introduce aat the appropriate stage of development. All of them are important. Pictures offer immediate recognition and and reduced cognitive demands, freeing attention for communication - important when the child is just learning what communication is all about; Blissymbols offer an explicit language scaffolding, preparing the way for independent mastery or what will always be a challenge - trying to replicate the accomplishments of speech; orthography offers the ability to generate any utterance and to access all of the opportunities afforded by literacy.

Shirley McNaughton C.M., Ph.D.

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