1. What happens to my story, poem or essay after I send it in?
2. Who will read my story, poem or essay?
3. Who can help me?
4. What kind of help can they give?
5. I don’t think I can write well enough.
6. What Can I Write About?
7. Is my story too long?
8. What languages is the contest flyer available in?
9. Can my website/newsletter include information and links to the 'Many Stories -One Voice' writing contest and AAC Awareness Month?
10. This is a contest – do I get a prize?
11.  Can stories be submitted in other languages besides English?
12. When is my story due?
13. Do I have to be a member of ISAAC to participate? 

 

1. What happens to my story, poem or essay after I send it in?

Your story will be put on a special website, with all the other stories submitted to the MSOV Writing Contest.  A panel of AAC and Literacy experts will score all the stories using our contest assessment criteria so that the best stories can be recognised at the ISAAC Biennial Conference in Montreal, August 2008.

 

2. Who will read my story, poem or essay?

In October 2008 people who use AAC from around the world will download and print out a story, poem or essay from the website to read out loud in a library, classroom or other place. Or they will read directly from the website on a computer in libraries around the world. Your readers might be very young, they might be older beginners in reading and writing, or  more advanced levls they could speak a different language from you, and many of your audience will have physical and / or learning disabilities.

 

3. Who can help me?

You can ask anyone you like to help you. This may be your parents or carers, siblings, teachers, speech therapist, friends.

 

4. What kind of help can they give?

Your helpers should consult you closely to make sure they know what it is you want to say. It is YOUR story. They can give you whatever help you need, including putting  the  story in writing for you. Perhaps they can do some research for you, help you through the planning stages, help you to gather the pictures for your story, help you to organise things.

 

5. I don’t think I can write well enough.

WE WANT EVERYONE TO SHARE THEIR STORY. We are using a professional scoring tool so that entries can be screened to enable us to fairly recognise some of the best entries at the Conference in Montreal. BUT, there are no winners and no losers. We want everyone to tell his or her story. AND, we are happy with and encourage you to write at your own level. Your helpers can add text that is at a level you are working towards in reading and writing. This means you can use your own story as material for making progress in your literacy learning. And they can enrich your story with additional text that is for reading with you, and which provides background knowledge to increase your language and comprehension skills.

 

7.  Is my story too long?

All written stories must be 500 words or less. Stories combined with pictures and words must be able to be read at one sitting.

 

8. What languages is the contest flyer available in?

Right now, the contest flyer has been translated into Chinese, English, Finnish, French, German Finnish, Danish and Spanish. Flyers can be downloaded from the home page or the main contest page. More translations will be posted as they become available.   

 

9. Can my website/newsletter include information and links to the 'Many Stories - One Voice' writing contest and AAC Awareness Month?

YES. All information on this website is accessible to the public  and may be shared on any other website, newsletter, publication, or other medium used to promote awareness and education.

 

10. This is a contest – do I get a prize?

All stories will be recognized in the online collection and made available for people to share all around the world in October. Selected stories chosen by the judging committee will be highlighted at the 2008 ISAAC Biennual conference in August. 

 

11.  Can stories be submitted in other languages besides English?

Stories may be submitted in any language and will be posted in the online collection in its primary language. However, since English will be the speaking language at the 2008 ISAAC conference, we would appreciate if an english translation  could be included with any version submitted in another language.   

 

12. When is my story due?

The Many Stories One Voice writing contest deadline has been extended to 13 June 2008. Any submissions earlier will be very  much appreciated.

 

13. Do I have to be a member of ISAAC to participate? 

No, you do not have to be a member of ISAAC to participate in the writing contest or in AAC Awareness month events. ANY person who uses AAC can submit a story and EVERYONE is welcome, and encouraged, to participate in AAC Awareness month events.