1997-98 BCI Annual Report
By: T. Lang Moffat, Chair
1997 was the year of the "Pause" for BCI. It was a year which served to
underline for us how very thin we are in our human resources as an organization.
Congratulations are in order for Shirley McNaughton who successfully completed her
doctorate at OISE in 1997. In order to accomplish this it was necessary for Shirley to
reduce the time she dedicated to BCI during 1997. We must admit that as an organization -
what we accomplish in a given period of time is very much influenced by the direct
involvement of Shirley in that work.
Peter Lindsay, our other human dynamo, was forced to be inactive for several months due to
illness. His enthusiasm, energy and knowledge were greatly missed and this combined with
Shirley's reduced involvement severely limited our project work for the year.
We are delighted to report they are both actively involved with our work once more and our
meetings are upbeat once again as we learn from them about the project work that is
underway or being planned.
We would also like to note the absence of our dedicated secretary, Betty Layton, for a
large portion of 1997 as she supported her husband, Bob, through difficult health times.
Betty, I doubt you will ever realize how much we missed your presence and your quietly
looking after so many needed tasks that are often, too often, taken for granted. We
appreciate your return to active service with us.
Bob Gibbons also had difficult family health problems to deal with in 1997 and we missed
not only his work with us but his delightful sense of humour which brightens our meetings
and keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously!
Bearing in mind we have no paid staff and are consequently completely dependent on
volunteers, the miracle is that we not only survived the year but modestly improved our
financial position to support out future work. For this we are truly thankful and would
like to thank a number of people and groups for their special contributions to this
successful outcome.
As for our work in 1997, it can perhaps be best summed up in the words of the poet, Bobby
Burns: "The best laid schemes o'mice an' men gang aft a glery"
One goal for the year was to complete the software development of BlissWrite and BlissNet
to make it compatible with Microsoft Windows 95 and the Apple Macintosh system. The work
was started and funding for it was provided by generous donors. Unfortunately we did not
have the right person for the job and the work was not completed. Thanks to the ongoing
efforts of Shirley and Peter we do hope to achieve this goal in 1998.
The goal of having all Bliss users known personally to BCI who wished to be connected to
the Internet using the BlissInternet software was not achieved. A shortage of human and
financial resources forced this to be deferred to 1998. Grants from The Star Foundation
and OFCP and the cooperation of a Guelph-based company, FreeNet, will enable this work to
begin and hopefully be completed in 1998.
The Bliss clinic initiative was discussed at this time last year. Initial meetings were
held but the whole project has since been put on hold while the Ontario government decides
what it is really prepared to undertake and fund in the Assistive Devices Program area.
An immediate success has been the creation of our own Bliss website on the Internet. Thank
you to Paul Marshall for all your work as Web Master and for making this dream a reality
-- and for your ongoing development and enhancement of this prospect which now includes
our Bliss catalogue on line. We look forward to the future inclusion and participation of
our Bliss affiliates on this Bliss web site, to emphasize the worldwide usage of the Bliss
language.
What of the Future?
I would like to return to my opening remarks. The past year, 1997, underlined for us how
very thin we are as an organization in human resources. It is essential that the BCI Board
of Directors address this issue in the coming year. Many of our key people are getting
"long in the tooth", as they say. We must involve a younger generation of people
with particular emphasis on expertise in the Bliss language and symbols and in computer
technology, systems installation, etc.
We are heartened with indications of some renewed interest in Bliss in Canada -- with
requests received for additional training programs to be supported.
1998 is the year of the international ISAAC Conference to be held in Dubliri, Ireland in
August. We are pleased that Bliss will again be represented on the program in several
different presentations.
Also in conjunction with ISAAC Conference, we will be holding our traditional Bliss
Affiliates meeting. A number of our people will be in attendance and we know from past
experience they always return from these events on a high, with new inspiration,
enthusiasm, plans and ideas for our future work. We know 1998 will be no different and we
look forward to their sharing this with us in September. Specific attention will be given
to:
-- ongoing development of new Blissymbols
-- ongoing input to BCI from the Affiliates between the biennial Affiliate Meetings and a
greater involvement with our planning and decision making.
My conclusion -- BCI is very much alive and anticipating the future with our
characteristic optimism and a proven record of overcoming obstacles. If 1997 was the year
of the "Pause" for BCI to turn dreams into reality, we anticipate 1998 will
become known as the year of the big Rebound for Bliss!
Thank you.
Blissymbols used herein derived
from the symbols described in the work, Semantography, original copyright, C.K. Bliss,
1949. In September, 1982, C.K. Bliss granted an exclusive, non-cancellable and perpetual,
world-wide license to the Blissymbolics Communication Institute (now Blissymbolics
Communication International), for the application of Blissymbols, for use by handicapped
persons and persons having communication, language and learning difficulties.
