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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1.
What happens to my story, poem or essay after I send it in?
2.
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?
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
in October.
2.
Who will read my story, poem or essay?
In October 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 levels they could speak a different language from you, and many of your audience will have physical and / or learning disabilities.
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. 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.
Anything related to AAC and communication! Real life or fictional stories that include a way a person who uses AAC can communicate, no matter what the method!
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?
Translations will be posted as they become available.
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 in October.
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.
The Many Stories One Voice writing contest deadline has been extended to 15 August 2009. 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.