Latest News

Online Security Update

We have recently updated our server with a security patch, to stop password sharing. Some organisations (obviously not yours) are forgetting that the online accounts are for the named individual only, and are not supposed to be shared with anyone else.

Now if someone else logs in with your details, you may be locked out for 24 hours, while we check for any unauthorised use. Some people have experienced problems logging in, due to the update. If this is you, email ask@photosymbols.com and Pete will reset your account with a new password. (13 February 2012)

We Want Care, Not a Kicking!

A lot of us were shocked and upset by the BBC Panorama that exposed horrific abuses at Winterbourne View Care Home, in South Gloucestershire, back in June 2011. An undercover reporter secretly filmed residents being teased, tormented and abused - sometimes quite violently.

Today 11 people appeared at Bristol Crown Court, facing abuse charges. A small group from Bristol & South Gloucestershire People First met outside to protest. They were joined by our very own Pete who'd helped make up some banners.

"We may have been a small group but we were very loud! So loud that the TV cameras came over to record us with our banners. We managed to unsettle 8 of the bullies. They all covered their faces and walked into court very quickly."

Three of the accused pleaded guilty and were released on bail. 8 more people appeared in court and their cases will be dealt with in March. (9 February 2012)

New Research Photosymbols

We've just added 50 new photosymbols about research to the online library. The ideas for the images came from Cornwall People First, who have a research team looking into paid work.

Working with two other groups in Bristol and London, we developed their ideas into new images for things like consent, data, market-research, report-writing and ethics. Online users can use these new photosymbols straight away. Just type 'Research' into the search box when you're logged in and they'll show in the browser. (February 2012)

The Hardest Hit Campaign

Disabled people and their families are being hit hard by cuts to the benefits and services they need to live their lives. The Hardest Hit campaign brings people together to send a clear message to the Government: stop these cuts! You find out more about the campaign here.

We've made a photosymbol for each of the 3 core campaign messages, which are free to use for everyone wanting to get involved.

To get the pictures, click here: Pic-1, Pic-2, Pic-3 . They're also on our facebook.

European Self-Advocacy Conference in Portugal

Never far away from his groupworker roots, Pete recently packed a huge bag and headed for Portugal to the European Platform of Self-Advocates Conference - 'Hear our voices'. He met people from all over Europe, including Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Poland and Norway. Some people came from even further afield, like Israel, Lebanon, Palestine and New Zealand!

Pete was itching to try out using photosymbols as graphics on a 'talking wall'. This involved printing photosymbols onto photographic paper, cutting around the shape, and then mounting them onto polystyrene foam (using a hot wire cutter) to make a sturdy backing.

He used photosymbols along with graphics and photos he took at the conference and printed out with a portable printer, "It's early days, but I had lots of ideas about using photosymbols in ways other than print. It was great to get back to basics and get the scissors and spray mount out again. It worked pretty well and I'm glad I went low-tech as the internet kept dropping in and out, which gave some people problems."

Pete's got loads more ideas about using the symbols in live big meetings. Keep an eye out you may well bump into him at a conference near you. (October 2011)

Meeting CBeebies Mr Tumble

Here's a real treat, but you'd better be quick...

Two of our youngest (and cutest) models join Mr Tumble on CBeebies in a baking competition against a French Chef. Surely they can't win? (September 2011)

Festival of Diversity

Bournemouth People First put on their Festival of Diversity on 13th August for the second year. The festival is unique because it is run by people with learning disabilities. It was a colourful, vibrant and creative event held in the grounds of Boscombe Chine Gardens, aiming to show the unique and varied talents people with learning disabilities have.

Special guests included the Mix It Up DJs fresh from their performance at Camp Bestival who feature in our very own Photosymbols Library. Next year we'll try and tell you in advance so you can head to the seaside and join in the fun for yourself. (August 2011)

Making Meetings Easier

OK, it's not going to solve all your meeting accessibility issues. But we hope it helps. We've just added a new template to the online version of Photosymbols, for an easy-read Invite and Agenda for meetings.

This can be used together with the Minutes template. The layout includes space for a map, calendar and clocks which can be added from the photosymbols library! (August 2011)

A Photosymbols Wedding

Well not quite. But we do want to pass on a huge congratulations and our best wishes to Joan, one of our most long-standing models who got married in Bristol last week.

Many of you will recognise her face from the very first edition of Photosymbols. We wish her and her husband all the best for the future. (July 2011)

Stock Photos Now Online

For a long time we've been interested in producing our own stock photography. We work with amazing groups up and down the country (even Europe) and sometimes we get the opportunity to photograph people in their ordinary lives.

It's these pictures that we are including in the new stock photo library, alongside some great shots we've snapped behind the scenes on our shoots.

They're great for livening up reports, presentations and websites and (we hope) make a powerful statement about valuing individuality, equality and diversity - hard words to say, much easier to show in a picture! (June 2011)

Photosymbols Down Under

Photosymbols aren't just popular in the UK...

We're getting more and more interest from other parts of the world. We were very pleased to see this easy-read discussion paper by the Australian Government.

Easy-read is still a fairly new idea in Australia. The group that produced the paper are the Information Access Group. You can check out some of their work by clicking here. (May 2011)

First Templates Added

Today we added the first easy-read templates to the online version of Photosymbols - A layout for a general information booklet, meeting notes or minutes, and a photo-storyboard.

Each of these can be downloaded and used as a starting point for your own easy-read information. Just log-in as usual, click on 'Templates' in the top menu bar and you'll see them available for Microsoft Word or Apple Pages. (April 2011)

Photosymbols 4 Goes Online

Photosymbols 4 is ready to order, and comes on a USB Flashdrive just like Photosymbols 3. We also include a whole year's free access to the new online version of Photosymbols, which is kept always up-to-date with the latest pictures.

Users will also be able to access new features as we bring them online, including easy-read templates, stock photography, video learning and word-clips - snippets of ready written easy-read text you can copy and paste into your own documents.

Bringing photosymbols online means we can be more responsive. We are confident that users will find the online features a real time-saver when it comes to making high quality easy-read information. And that has always been our goal. (March 2011)