The first Coreboard (Communication Board) has been erected in the Botanical Gardens in Tairāwhiti. Coreboards are a communication tool for people with low or no verbal communication abilities. It contains symbols, pictures and words that represent the most frequent words of a language. Approximately 80 per cent of the words we use daily come from a set of fewer than 400 words.

Core vocabulary boards are used to support both use and understanding of communication. Initially a support person will model a sentence to the learner, pointing to one or some of the key words on the board. Over time the learner will learn to use the board to share their thoughts, wishes, dreams and opinions.

These Coreboards are part of a project Ministry of Education are doing in collaboration with the Gisborne District Council. Funding has been secured partly from two local trusts and the regional Learning Support discretionary fund.

The aim is to make public spaces more accessible and inclusive for people with communication needs with the hope to normalise the use of alternative communication tools as well as raise awareness of diverse communication needs in our community.

English and Te Reo versions of the boards will be installed in different parks/playgrounds around the motu from Hicks Bay to Gisborne and inland. The boards also have scannable QR-codes, which enables people to scan the code and take the board with them either to print out or keep using on the phone.