While Tobii Dynavox would prefer you subscribe to their cloud service, the truth is that millions of PECS boards, visual schedules, and choice boards printed from those silver discs are still hanging on classroom walls today. The ink may have faded, and the velcro might be dusty, but the communication those boards enabled is timeless.
This was the dawn. The original CD required Macintosh System 7 or Windows 3.1. The symbol library was modest by today’s standards (approx. 1,500 symbols), but it was revolutionary. For the first time, teachers could print consistent icon grids rather than hand-drawing stick figures. boardmaker cd
These are the versions most veterans remember. Running on Windows 95/98 and Mac OS 9, this CD offered over 3,000 symbols. The interface was clunky—saving files required a floppy disk—but the output was pristine. This era introduced the "Addendum" CDs (sports, health, and international symbols). While Tobii Dynavox would prefer you subscribe to
In the age of cloud subscriptions, iPad apps, and downloadable symbol sets, it is easy to forget the tactile, physical roots of assistive technology. Before the "Software as a Service" model took over, there was a shiny silver disc that changed the lives of speech-language pathologists (SLPs), special education teachers, and parents of non-verbal children: the Boardmaker CD . The original CD required Macintosh System 7 or Windows 3
For over two decades, the Boardmaker CD was the undisputed king of visual supports. While modern users might search for "Boardmaker Online" or "Boardmaker 7," there is a growing nostalgia and practical need for understanding the original CD-ROM versions. Whether you are a seasoned educator looking to recover old resources, a retro-tech enthusiast, or a school district trying to support legacy systems, this deep dive into the Boardmaker CD is for you. Boardmaker, developed by Mayer-Johnson (now part of Tobii Dynavox), is a software program designed to create printed visual supports. The "CD" refers to the CD-ROM format that dominated the market from the early 1990s through the late 2000s.
Unlike vague clip art, PCS symbols were designed with linguistic clarity in mind. A child with autism or apraxia could look at a symbol for "drink" and immediately understand its meaning. To understand the market for this keyword, you must understand the specific versions. Not all Boardmaker CDs are created equal.