Example of accommodating now and in the seventies!
We all know how important it is to have an international standard for the use of Blissymbolics. BCI maintains an Authorized Vocabulary for this very reason.
However we also know that ‘living communication’ requires some accommodation from time to time, to meet the needs of users. A practical example of this took place many years ago when those whose native language was Hebrew needed to view their Blissymbols from right to left instead of from left to right as we do with English words. Judy Seligman-Wine and her colleagues did the extensive work to make this happen when Judy moved from Canada to Israel in the seventies.
We have an example of collaboration and accommodation on Canada Day, 2020. We provided a Blissymbol for “social distancing” for those who speak Hebrew. A “Blissful way” for Canada to collaborate internationally to celebrate our special day!
Here is how it happened:
Back in April, Wern Palmus in Sweden collected the Blissymbols that could be useful during Covid19. They appear in the first entry in Blissful Thoughts (April 24, 2020)
On July 1, 2020, Judy Wine wrote and asked if we had a Blissymbol for “social distancing”.
I wrote back and shared Wern’s work. Judy reminded me that she needed the elements reversed.
With the help of Bliss Online, I was able to send Judy the symbol in its Hebrew form.
So we now have........
In Sweden
social distansering
In Israel
ריחוק חברתי
In Canada
Now, it’s up to us all to KEEP DOING IT!
Shirley
I love that I learned something new…now I know Hebrew is read from right to left! Thanks for this!