How symbols are used

Activities and worksheets with symbols enable increased interaction and provide additional visual stimulation and motivation to learn. Behaviour and discipline are improved for many students as they can be more easily engaged in curriculum topics through symbol-supported instructions and worksheets.

In Schools visual timetables help children to understand routines throughout the school day, reducing anxiety and improving learning and behaviour. In hospitals procedures in symbol form can both inform and reassure patients about what their hospital experience will be like.

Symbols are already frequently used to assist people in finding their way around public places. Common examples include navigating foreign airports, finding the nearest lavatory or fire exit. Increasing the use of images in signs and using a widely recognised set can help anybody find their way around easily.

How to get symbol signs from Widgit

Signs, posters and leaflets used in public places should be accessible to any member of the public. Including just the key symbols or a simple symbol highlight will improve understanding without overwhelming the reader, or overcrowding the materials.

If you are carrying out a survey to learn what your employees or customers think, using symbols will ensure that those who cannot access text are able to express their views and opinions as accurately as any other service user.

High tech devices can be accessed with a finger, switch or head pointer to identify a symbol which is then converted into speech output. Ideas can be communicated much more quickly using symbols rather than pointing to individual letters.

Formal documents such as tenancy agreements, contracts and application forms can be made more understandable by the use of symbols. The main points of each paragraph can be summarised in symbol form, or single symbols can be used to signpost what each part of the document contains.

With the growth of the Internet, there is an increased need to make information on websites more accessible. The addition of visual support means that visitors to a website do not have to rely entirely on the written word. This can be helpful for people who have English as an additional language.

Add symbols to your website with Point

Booklets, laminated cards or disposable resources can be used to aid the diagnosis of an illness or identification of pain. These are especially useful where a person has no speech or does not understand the language of the country in which they are taken ill.