Keyboard Software for African Scripts

Update: There are input tools available here for the scripts of Bamum, Bassa Vah, Mende Kikakui, N'ko, Tifinagh, and Vai:

http://athinkra.github.io/bamum/tools/#?load=0xa6a0-bamum.json

http://athinkra.github.io/bassa-vah/tools/#?load=0x16ad0-bassa_vah.json

http://athinkra.github.io/mende-kikakui/tools/#?load=0x1e800-mende_kikakui.json

http://enabling-languages.github.io/characterPicker/african.html

A converter for the N'ko script by our friend Andrij Rovenchak may be found here: http://nkoconvert.ho.ua/

You may also try the beta version of a Vai input tool at: http://www.ktf.franko.lviv.ua/users/andrij/vai-ime/

There is an earlier system available for Vai as well, following the steps below:

You may download from this page free tools needed for typing in the Vai script of Liberia:

-Keyman, version 6.2 (and removal tool to uninstall)

-Vai Keyboard .kmx file

-Vai Keyboard .bmp icon

-Keyman manual in .pdf format

-Dukor.ttf font (Unicode-compliant Vai font, courtesy of Evertype)

To download, save all of the following files into one folder location. You will need to install the Dukor.ttf into the font folder on your machine (under Control Panel).

To install Keyman 6.2, run the .exe file, and follow the instructions as they display. It will prompt you to install a keyboard, and you will browse to locate the Vai .kmx file just downloaded.

While Keyman is running, you should notice a keyboard icon (a grey key marked 'k') sitting in your system tray. Once your Vai keyboard has installed successfully and been selected, you will know by seeing a blue icon in this corner. If needed, left-click the grey key to select the Vai keyboard, or right-click the grey key to enter the 'Keyman Configuration' dialog to verify that the Vai keyboard has been installed.

When the blue icon is showing and the Vai font (Dukor.ttf) is selected in your target application (MS Word, OpenOffice, etc.), your physical keyboard will be enabled to type in Vai. Simply spell out any syllable, and you will get the corresponding Vai characters for those syllables.

For more detailed help, feel free to contact Athinkra via the Contact link above.