Concept Coding Framework (CCF): people with impaired communication, including difficulties to read or write, may use symbols as an alternative or complement to character based texts. Referencing to, and exchanging these alternatively coded messages over the Internet is difficult due to the lack of standardised encoding schemes and common practises. This site is intended to motivate, describe and promote the introduction and adoption of a common, open and vendor neutral Concept Coding Framework (CCF) to overcome some of these difficulties.
CCF Background Paper The presented paper, "Inclusive AAC – Multi-Modal and Multilingual Language Suppport for All", won the best paper award 2013. The paper and presentation builds on the work carried out during several years, also participating in EU projects, WWAAC, AEGIS, creating a framework for concept coding, to facilitate the use of many natural languages and symbol languages in applications. One practial appliance is symbolsupport for LibreOffice and an Android App. Contributors to this work, and the published paper submitted to the conference, is Mats Lundälv, Sandra Derbring of DART, and Bengt Farre, Annika Brännström of Androtech Consulting and Lars Nordberg of Femtio Procent Data.
English Language Center offers courses in Intensive English as a Foreign Language (EFL) for academic, professional, and conversational as well as courses for teaching EFL. The mission of the Intensive English Program at Georgetown University is to provide quality language instruction and cultural orientation to students who require English for their academic, professional or personal needs. [Georgetown University, Washington, DC]
Opportunities in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Fulbright Scholar Program, a program of the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Beginning with the 2014-2015 competition, opportunities for scholars specializing in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and associated fields are being organized and showcased in an entirely new way by the Fulbright Scholar Program. Although grants will continue to be made to a specific country, all TEFL opportunities are now grouped under a single award number (#5000). By presenting the full range of TEFL within a worldwide context, potential applicants will be able to examine and compare more than 50 country options simultaneously.
Makaton, a communication programme using symbols and signs for communication and learning disabilities
Stern Center for Language and Learning, is a nonprofit learning center dedicated to helping children and adults reach their full potential. The center is committed to helping individuals identify their learning strengths as well as their needs and to finding solutions that allow everyone to learn. We evaluate and teach more than 900 children and adults each year including those with learning disabilities, dyslexia, language disorders, autism, attention deficit disorders, and learning style differences.
The Internet TESL JournalThe Internet TESL Journal published articles from 1995 through 2010. This website is now an online resource book for teachers who can refer to our published articles on teaching techniques and other things of interest to EFL and ESL teachers.
The SYMBERED Project "The aim of the Nordic SYMBERED project is to develop a user friendly editing tool that makes use of concept coding to produce web pages with flexible graphical symbol support targeted towards people with AAC needs."
Widgit, software for special needs, including symbols for literacy
Ability Needs magazine for the less able and their carers made available within special needs groups, nursing homes and NHS Trusts throughout the United Kingdom in addition to being distributed to disabled people and NHS and Social Services Occupational Therapists free of charge through our extensive mobility mailing information. And is on sale nationally; additional copies of Ability Needs Magazine are also available at Shopmobility outlets throughout the UK.
Action for Blind People merged with RNIB On 1 April 2017, Action for Blind People merged with RNIB. This allows them to help more blind and partially sighted people by combining their services, knowledge, and expertise within one charity.
Action on Hearing Loss – formerly the Royal National Institute of the Deaf (RNID) – the largest charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK.
Autochair (wheelchair and scooter carriers). AutoChair designs and manufactures hoists and other aids to assist people with disabilities and reduced mobility to get into their car or van.
British Telecommunications (BT) Including You – Understanding Impairments Information for BT users who need help for Hearing, Sight, Speech & language, Mobility Dexterity, Understanding & using technology. If you or someone you know has an impairment, discover more about the impact it can have on day-to-day life, and how BT can help. We want to make sure our products and services are available to everyone – whatever their need. That’s why we have made this website – and all our products and services – as accessible as possible, so they’re easy to use. Find out about our commitment to you – and about our work with other organisations.
British Standard 8878 (BS 8878) is a Web Accessibility Code of Practice which was published by the British Standards Institute (BSI). BS 8878 is part of the UK government’s broader self-regulatory approach to standardization. The standard was officially launched on 7 December 2010. BS 8878 defines a process for creating and embedding a web accessibility strategy within an organisation. It is written in non technical language and is aimed at people within an organisation who have responsibilities for web strategy or development. It encompasses web sites, web applications, software as a service, cloud based services and other services accessed via a web browser. BS 8878 is not intended as a competitor or alternative to the WCAG standard developed by W3C WAI. Rather, it defines the processes needed in the planning and deployment of accessible web products. This can include the selection of WCAG guidelines.
BSI Website accessibility for all (.pdf) is a consumer's guide to the British Standard for Web Accessibility (BS 8878)
Citizens Online is a national charity that was set up to tackle the issues of digital exclusion, to make sure that the Internet is available to everybody and to help individuals and communities understand and gain the benefits of being online.
Disability Arts International is a website and regular digital newsletter developed and coordinated by the British Council, the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities It aims to promote the work of the unique generation of excellent disabled artists, disabled-led companies and inclusive arts organisations. The website aims to share the ways arts organisations are increasing access to the arts for disabled people as audiences and visitors. DisabilityArtsInternational.org also seeks to explore and contrast different cultural policy and funding environments. New
Disability Equality Scotland seeks to promote independent living, removing barriers to inequality for those affected by disability in Scotland. [Scotland]
Disabled Holidays travel without limits. Holidays for people with disabilities including wheelchair accessible visitor attractions, activities, and accommodations
Disabled Access Holidays is an online travel agent offering services to disabled people throughout the UK. It provide financial protection through its membership of the award winning Global Travel Group on all wheelchair accessible holidays abroad. Disabled Access Holidays Ltd and its sister company Mobility Equipment Hire Direct Ltd offer wheelchair accessible accommodation, mobility equipment hire, wheelchair adapted taxi transfers and wheelchair assistance on flights to destinations throughout the world.
Disability news and blogs by the BBC:
The very best of the BBC's stories and analysis about disability and mental health can be found on the Disability News Index page.
The BBC "Ouch" blog is no longer being updated as of February 2017. The Ouch Team moved all their best features, videos, and audio to the BBC Ouch programmes page: Ouch! Disability Talk
Although they are no longer updating the blog, you might want to scroll through it anyway as there are some great posts which might be of interest: "Ouch" blog archives.
Disabled People the merger of disability.gov.uk and the "disabled people" section of Directgov. Directgov offers disabled people information on a wide range of topics including financial support, home and housing, leisure and travel, as well as disability rights information.
Disability Rights Commission Formal Investigation Report: Web Accessibility (April 14th, 2004). The report is called "The Web: Access and Inclusion for Disabled People" (.pdf). There is a PDF of the full report, an "easy read" version in PDF format, an RTF version, and a Welsh or Cymru version in RTF.
Food Allergy UK Natural Common Allergens, Chemical Allergens, E-Numbers and Food Additives [United Kingdom] Updated
Genetic Alliance UK is the national charity working to improve the lives of patients and families affected by all types of genetic conditions. We are an alliance of over 160 patient organisations.
Guide Dogs The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Inclusion International promoting inclusion, equality and opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities and their families worldwide. [United Kingdom]
Leonard Cheshire Disability – the leading charity provider of services for disabled people in the UK and operate in 57 countries across the world
MENCAP "Understanding learning disability" Mencap can help you make your information easy to understand for people with a learning disability. Or, if you have a learning disability, you might like to see their easy to read web pages and publications.
Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) is a charity and coalition of UK organisations with a vision to see all women across the UK get consistent, accessible and quality care and support for their mental health during pregnancy and in the year after giving birth.
Open University Services for Disabled Students resources for students, including good guidance on thinking about their needs, legal advice, course materials in alternate formats, and more.
REMAP provides one-off technical aids which help disabled people of all ages to enjoy a better lifestyle. Every aid is given free of charge to the user. Remap operates through a network of 1,500 volunteers. The professional engineers, technicians, and craftspeople – along with medical and paramedical staff from community services and hospitals – all belong to approximately 100 panels (groups) linked to regions across the UK, with Scotland and the Isle of Man operating separately.
REMAP Scotland consists of engineers, occupational and physiotherapists, and other professionals engaged in helping people with their disabilities. Objective: "The design and construction of appliances to meet the individual needs of handicapped people where such cannot be provided by any other means, and the promotion of closer liaison between the Engineering and Caring professions." Members are volunteers and rely on donations of materials and funds from the general public. No charges are made to clients for the devices supplied. [Scotland]
Disability Information Scotland is a national project that provides reliable, accurate, and accessible information for people living with disability in Scotland. They offer several free online certificate courses designed to improve your general knowledge and understanding of accessible Information.They also provide excellent Training Resources & Publications [Scotland] New
Skill: National Bureau for Students With Disabilities is a national charity promoting opportunities for young people and adults with any kind of disability in post-16 education, training and employment across the UK.
Sportability (taking the ‘did’ out of disability) is a British charity that provides sporting and adventurous activities for people with all forms of paralysis. Their motto is "If I can do this, what else can I achieve." [Note: the side navigation in this site doesn’t work well in Firefox on the Mac so you will need to View Source to get at the side navigation links.]
Technology guides: Staying in Touch – a guide that contains information about accessible mobile phones and software applications for blind and partially sighted people that are available from RNIB and other suppliers. [United Kingdom / Spain]
UK debut for ‘blind’ mobile by Geoff Adams-Spink. The first mobile phone designed specifically for blind and partially sighted people.BBC News, 23 November 2003
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