Tactile symbols used as labels
Tactile symbols are often used by blind and partially sighted people as useful labels in all sorts of situations. These may include labelling clothes to know what colour they are; labelling dials on appliances; labelling food items in the cupboard and so on.
There are a range of different types of symbols blind and partially sighted people use for labelling. One useful and widely used product is "bump ons" which are self-adhesive raised "bumps" in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours which can be used for labelling.
Many blind and partially sighted people develop their own labelling systems, using different shapes, textures or colours (for those with residual vision).
Symbols for communication
Symbols can also be used as a form of communication. This may be of particular use to those who may struggle to communicate by other means, such as children with multiple disabilities and a visual impairment (MDVI). Symbols from a tactile reading code such as Moon, arbitrary symbols, or relevant objects can be used to communicate and to increase independence for blind and partially sighted people.
Objects of reference
"Objects of reference" is a system of using symbols for communication. Objects are used as symbols to represent something else. They can be used to represent anything that is usually referred to by words or other signs, such as people, places, and activities.
For example:
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a piece of familiar material may represent "Mum"
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a key may represent "home"
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a fork may represent "lunch"
Using objects of reference can aid communication with an individual who may not communicate through speech or signing. This includes both communication to the individual and allowing them to communicate for themselves.
For example:
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a family member could announce it was time for lunch by presenting a fork
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the individual could make independent choices between activities by choosing the object representing what they wanted to do
Objects of reference is an informal system, intended to be tailored to the individual. Therefore, there are not set objects to use for particular references, but instead carers and teachers are encouraged to develop a system based on observation of the associations the individual already makes with particular objects.