Standardization of a Graphic Symbol System as an Alternative Communication Tool for Turkish

Graphic symbols are commonly used across countries in order to support individuals with communicative deficiency. The literature review revealed the absence of such a system for Turkish socio-cultural context. In this study, the aim was to develop a symbol system appropriate for the Turkish socio-cultural context. The process began with studies designed to delineate the scope of the proposed system. Firstly, a dictionary was formed, founded on the literature. In the following stage, a visual design form was developed with a view to identifying visual representations of these words. Using this form, 106 participants were asked for their opinion. The data collected were examined, and common traits of the graphic(s) indicated for each word were identified so that alternative graphic(s) could be prepared accordingly. From one to five visual representations were identified for each word and the corresponding graphic symbols were drawn in electronic media. An e-measure was developed in order to find out whether these graphics were sufficient to represent the corresponding objects, concepts, or situations. The scale was sent to participant groups across Turkey to obtain the opinions of individuals from divergent age, culture, and educational backgrounds. A total of 1,099 participants were asked for their opinion. This resulted in a new system consisting of standard graphic symbol(s) for 843 words and seven forms of affix structures appropriate for writing Turkish using graphic symbols.