International Photojournalist and Photographer

Avril Nichol, the editor and publisher of the informative ‘Speech and Language Therapy in Practice Magazine’ has decided that her Winter 2011 edition will be the final issue. The cover image and feature essay discuss the trails and ‘beta testing’ of the newly designed ‘Makaton iPad app’ with students living and learning in the Derwen College in Oswestry.

The iPad app was an instant success with the students at the college which is specifically designed to empower young people who have learning and communication disabilities.

Zoe Peden recently set up a small company to design the software which brings learning of the traditional sign language – Makaton® - into the 21st Century. She states on her blog that her aim for the Ipad app is to: “independence for children and adults with learning or communication disabilities.” Even in the early stages of testing she tells me that: “The learning software has been an instant success with the students. Parents, Teachers and Speech and Language Therapists have also very warmly welcomed the learning tool which can be used anywhere.”

Zoe described her learning application as “A new educational iPad app to aid choice and communication for people with learning and communication difficulties. The app uses Makaton® symbols, signs and video with real sounding speech,” on her website at http://www.mychoicepad.com/.

I was privileged that Avril asked me to shoot some images for her final magazine and to work with some students in Derwen College. Avril still writes around issues concerning Speech and Language on her blog at http://speechmag.typepad.com/speechmag/.