Projects

Sound Without Sight

ISD Team

Abstract

Sound Without Sight is a new community-led online hub that is supporting the audio and music industries to become more inclusive. The platform connects visually impaired sound engineers and musicians to one another, and to resources, opportunities and support. It also promotes the development of accessible audio and music creation tools.

Description

In the evolving landscape of accessible music technology, Sound Without Sight emerges as a pivotal community-led initiative dedicated to supporting blind and partially sighted musicians and audio professionals. The project connects visually impaired musicians, audio engineers, and music industry professionals to one another, and to resources, opportunities, and support. The platform showcases talent within its community, highlights how accessibility barriers can be overcome, combines collective knowledge in its Knowledge Hub, challenges stereotypes, and connects members to facilitate peer support.

Sound Without Sight’s mission is to develop connected and sustainable solutions to equip blind and partially sighted musicians and audio engineers with the skills and knowledge they need to progress through education into employment in their chosen fields with competence and confidence, and to engage fully with their chosen leisure activities, using accessible and current methods.

The project continues to develop an active user community by showcasing blind and partially sighted musicians and the workflows and solutions that they have found throughout their careers. Through regular online Meet-up events, SWS provides a supportive environment that enables visually impaired musicians to learn from their peers and develop confidently. So far, we have brought together a mailing list of over 550 engaged subscribers, with most of these members likely to be visually impaired.

The initiative also bridges the gap between its community and the audio product industry. Its Knowledge Hub collates user-generated content, tutorials, and advice, serving as a repository of collective wisdom. This not only aids individuals in overcoming accessibility challenges but also provides developers with real-world feedback to improve the inclusivity and usability of their products. The project emphasises the importance of community involvement in developing accessible solutions.

Sound Without Sight’s success has led to the project presenting sessions and workshops at international events including the NAMM Show and Audio Developer Conference. By advocating for inclusivity and sharing resources at these events, Sound Without Sight strives to make music creation universally accessible.