For people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI), screen reader software and tactile braille displays are essential tools used to learn and engage with information. However, being a BVI music learner poses a set of new challenges as it involves using one’s hands and ears to learn and play music while not having access to conventionally available assistive technologies.

In this project, we identify accessibility challenges faced by BVI music learners and work towards designing and implementing accessible, multisensory assistive technologies that address BVI music learners’ unique needs.

People

Publications

journal

“Why are there so many steps?”: Improving Access to Blind and Low Vision Music Learning through Personal Adaptations and Future Design Ideas

Leon Lu, Karen Cochrane, Jin Kang, Audrey Girouard

ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, Volume 16, Issue 3, 2023

workshop

Learning Music Blind: Understanding Accessibility Challenges and Future Opportunities

Leon Lu, Audrey Girouard

CHI 2021, Rethinking the Senses: A Workshop on Multisensory Embodied Experiences and Disability Interactions, 2021