• Welcome
  • For AAC Users
  • For Parents
  • For Educators
  • For Providers
  • Blog
Menu

NWACS

Street Address
Seattle, WA
Phone Number
Northwest Augmentative Communication Society

Your Custom Text Here

NWACS

  • Welcome
  • For AAC Users
  • For Parents
  • For Educators
  • For Providers
  • Blog

Images For Making Materials

December 14, 2016 NWACS

Last Updated 3/29/2024

A couple of decades ago there was really only one option to source color drawings/images for adaptive applications; materials such as communication boards, visual schedules, learning supports, etc. Over the years, new options have been popping up. Here is a list of some sources for symbols/images for making materials and visual supports:

  • AAC Image Library - free symbols created by AAC users and disabled artists

  • ARASAAC - free picture symbols available in several languages. For more information about this site, check out this article from PrAACtical AAC here.

  • Bildstod.se - a free resource to create picture-based materials (must register for access, but it is free)

  • Boardmaker 7 - includes access to over 45,000 Picture Communication Symbols® (PCS); Boardmaker 7 is offered as a Standard or Subscription purchase option.

  • Canva - a free-to-use online graphic design tool, although many templates and graphics are available at a cost. Pro and Teams subscriptions available, providing unlimited access to premium tools and content. Did you know you can sign up for a free Canva in Education account if you work in the schools (K-12)?

  • Chat Editor (from Saltillo/TouchChat) - free to download program for Windows that provides access to symbols/pages that you can capture for use in making materials.

  • ClipSafari - a repository for high quality clip art images. These vector graphics are free to use for any purpose (including commercial use).

  • CocoMaterial - Open-source, hand-drawn illustrations that you can customize.

  • ConnectAbility.ca - free online visual engine to build visual supports and sequences. Choose a grid template, choose images, print, and use.

  • Custom Boards Elite - app (for iOS) with a built-in library of over 10,000 Smarty Symbols or import your own image to create boards and activities (to use on the iPad or print and use). Offers three different subscription packages.

  • DALL-E 2 - an AI system that can create realistic images and art from a description in natural language. You can create an account for free and get 50 free credits your first month, then 15 free credits per month after that. Free credits do not roll over. You can purchase credits (which are good for 12 months).

  • Drawn to AAC - SLP created digital illustrations related to AAC! You can find the images in Canva and on Teachers Pay Teachers. Did you know you can sign up for a free Canva in Education account if you work in the schools (K-12)?

  • Emoji Island - download emoji icons in PNG for free

  • FreeSVG.org - public domain clipart that you can use freely (for any purpose and without citation)

  • Global Symbols - a dictionary of a series of free symbol sets that have been developed in various countries to support those with communication difficulties

  • InPrint 3 software - desktop (Windows only) program supplied with over 17,000 Widgit Symbols (color and black & white)

  • KAAC Symbols Search - Korean AAC Symbol Search system is a website where you can search for AAC symbols. The website is in Korean, however with Google Translate the website can be translated to the language of your choice). It has ~10,000 symbols produced through the Basic Symbol System for Complementary and Alternative Communication in Korea.

  • LessonPix - created by a teacher and developer, LessonPix is an online resource to create customized materials. You can also download the "clip art" for use in applications such as Word documents, PowerPoint, etc. Individual and group pricing available.

  • Mulberry Symbols - scalable SVG graphic images (Pictograms) designed for communication use for adults with language difficulties; provided as “free at the point of use”

  • MyCuteGraphics - free clip art and background images; free for personal and educational use

  • Open Symbols - a collection of open-license picture symbols for use in AAC which pulls from multiple sources. Currently includes access to more than 59,000 symbols/icons.

  • PASS (from PRC) - create support materials, such as cheat sheets, manual boards, and vocabulary lists using the symbols from PRC AAC devices

  • Pics for PECS® software(from Pyramid Educational Consultants) - CD (Mac/Win) of over 3,200 high resolution jpg images

  • Picto4Me - a free web application for the Chrome browser that lets you create and play communication boards online. Boards can be displayed on tablets, chromebooks and any Google Chrome Browser compatible device. Pick images from optimized libraries or from the web, stored as well straight from your webcam. Picto4Me supports TTS (Text to speech) and webcam and microphone. Project files are stored in your Google Drive account.

  • Picto-Selector - free Windows application to create visuals

  • Pixabay - Over 1.8 million+ high quality stock images and videos, all released under the Pixabay License, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist - even for commercial purposes

  • SEN Teacher - free learning resources, including visual aids and AAC resources you can create and print. NWACS board member Rose-Marie shares: "Just type your word into the card frames and the online software searches its database (either ARASAAC symbols or photo images) fills in the pictures. Most cards are 2" size. Really easy to use!"

  • Smarty Symbols Image Club - an SLP-run company offering an online image/symbol library with over 19,000 images. Personal, group, and commercial monthly or yearly licenses available. NWACS board member, Casey, wrote a review of Smarty Symbols on her blog here.

  • SymbolStix PRIME - web-based library of over 25,000 SymbolStix symbols from n2y available for a 12-month subscription. Create materials on their site or copy and paste symbols into other programs to create your materials.

  • Tawasol Symbols - free Arabic / English symbol dictionary of frequently used words in spoken and written communication (must register for access, but it is free)

  • Widgit Online - create, save, and share symbol resources. Pricing plans include Home, School, Organization options (each with different levels) in monthly, or 1, 3, or 5 year increments.

Are you looking for real photos you can use without violating copyrights or dealing with licensing concerns? Check out this article by Eric Curts on Control Alt Achieve: 18 Free Image Sites and Tools for Schools

Want to remove the background of a picture or image? Try these free tools:

  • remove.bg (for images/photos)

  • Lunapic (for images/photos)

  • Unscreen (for videos)

What's missing from our list? Do you know of another resource to access images for creating materials and visual supports? Comment below to help us develop this resource list!

In AAC Implementation Tags resource, tool
← AAC Spotlight: Marci Revelli, MS, CCC-SLPAAC in Action 2017 →

ADD YOUR VOICE!

Are you interested in contributing to the NWACS blog? Click HERE


WELCOME TO THE NWACS BLOG

Collections by topic:

  • AAC and Literacy

  • Communication Bill of Rights

  • Communicative Competence

Browse around or use the navigation tools below to help you find the information that you seek. 1 - This Blog has several main Categories. 2 - You can also look through the Tags. Tags can exist in any of the categories and across categories. 3 - Or use the Search tool ⬇!

CATEGORIES

  • AAC Across the Lifespan
  • AAC Assessment
  • AAC Awareness Month
  • AAC Best Practices
  • AAC Education
  • AAC Implementation
  • AAC Organization
  • AAC Spotlight
  • AAC Systems
  • AACademics
  • Advocacy
  • Assistive Techonology
  • Awareness
  • Language
  • Let's Talk AAC
  • New Discoveries

TAGS

  • AAC
  • AAC abandonment
  • AAC across the lifespan
  • AAC advocacy
  • AAC and Literacy
  • AAC awareness
  • AAC awareness month
  • AAC collaboration
  • AAC community
  • AAC device
  • AAC families
  • AAC in Early Intervention
  • AAC preparedness
  • AAC professionals
  • AAC rep
  • AAC Rights
  • AAC skills
  • AAC stories
  • AAC supports
  • AAC users
  • access
  • accessory
  • acquired conditions
  • acute care
  • advocacy
  • allyship
  • app
  • approach
  • Autonomy
  • awareness
  • basics
  • Bilingualism & AAC
  • birth to 3
  • book
  • collaboration
  • communication
  • community involvement
  • competencies
  • conference
  • cultural awareness
  • device trials
  • disability etiquette
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • family
  • funding
  • goals
  • interview
  • mental health
  • mindset
  • multi-cultural practices
  • myths
  • neurodiversity
  • reading instruction
  • remote learning
  • research
  • resource
  • school
  • shared reading
  • shared writing
  • strategy
  • symbols
  • Team Collaboration
  • tool
  • transition
  • troubleshooting
  • vendor
  • webinar
  • writing instruction
Donate to NWACS - NWACS is a nonprofit organization run solely on volunteer power! Your donations help us: to cover our operating costs, to grow our events and outreach, to provide conference scholarships, and more! Thank you for your ongoing support
 
Blog RSS

Subscribe to our Mailing List

Northwest Augmentative Communication Society (NWACS) will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you via email to provide news, updates, and marketing.

You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at info@nwacs.info. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices visit our Disclosures Page. By clicking ‘Sign Up’, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use MailChimp as our marketing automation platform. By clicking ‘Sign Up’ to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailChimp for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms.

Thank you!

© 2016-2025 Northwest Augmentative Communication Society