In Sync: Exploration of a Multi-sensory Artefact for Dance Accessibility with People who are Blind or Have Low Vision and Dance Teachers
Madhuka Thisuri De Silva, Jim Smiley, Leona M Holloway, Sarah Goodwin, Matthew Butler · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility · doi:10.1145/3663547.3746367
Summary
This paper explores how a multi-sensory artefact combining spatialised audio and haptic feedback can support contemporary dance learning for people who are blind or have low vision (BLV). The system uses a Vicon motion tracking system to compare the hand positions of a teacher and student relative to their waists, then provides real-time corrective feedback through two channels. The auditory component uses four overhead speakers to create a dynamic soundscape: a contrasting guide track indicates horizontal positioning through spatial panning, while distinct sounds like flowing water or pink noise guide vertical alignment. The haptic component delivers continuous vibration through a wearable glove or wrist bracelet that decreases in intensity as the student approaches alignment with the teacher. When the student matches the teacher's pose, guiding sounds fade and vibration stops, leaving only the background music. The research involved five contemporary dance workshops, each pairing one dance teacher with one or two BLV adults (5 teachers, 8 BLV dancers total). Workshops were intentionally open-ended rather than structured, allowing teachers and learners to integrate the artefact into their own practices organically. Data collection included video recordings, audio, post-workshop reflections, and surveys adapted from the System Usability Scale and User Experience Questionnaire, all analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. The study builds on prior bodystorming workshops and earlier design explorations with the BLV community.
Key findings
Three major themes emerged from the analysis. First, teachers shaped their instruction around the artefact by layering verbal explanation, physical guidance, and system feedback progressively — typically starting with verbal descriptions then introducing audio and haptic cues. Teachers reported the system gave them "instructional freedom" by reducing the need to explain everything verbally in real time. Second, BLV dancers shaped their learning experience by developing personal strategies for engaging with feedback — some prioritised sound for orientation and used haptics for confirmation, others relied primarily on one modality. The system contributed to emotional safety, with dancers reporting they could receive non-personal corrective feedback without being singled out in group settings. One dancer noted the system helped them feel confident "without having to be called out in front of the others." Third, both teachers and learners envisioned extending the system to track additional body parts, support spatial orientation in the room, and enable peer-led collaboration between BLV dancers. A key tension emerged around precision: while the system offered exact positional feedback, both teachers and dancers suggested that feedback thresholds should be adjustable over time — generous for beginners and stricter as skills develop — recognising that embodied interpretation matters as much as objective correctness in dance.
Relevance
This research makes an important contribution to accessibility beyond functional tasks, demonstrating that multi-sensory technology can support participation in creative and artistic domains that have been historically shaped by visual norms. The finding that the artefact served as a flexible, co-adaptive tool rather than a prescriptive system offers a valuable design paradigm: accessible technologies for creative practices should support instructional freedom, situated adaptation, and shared control between teacher and learner. The emphasis on emotional safety — enabling non-personal, non-embarrassing feedback — has broad implications for any group learning context involving people with disabilities. The design implications around adjustable precision thresholds and layered feedback modalities are transferable to other movement-based accessible technologies in sports, rehabilitation, yoga, and physical education. The co-design methodology, where the system evolved through ongoing workshop participation rather than being finalised before deployment, models an inclusive research approach.
Tags: blind and low-vision · dance accessibility · multi-sensory feedback · haptic feedback · sonification · co-design · embodied interaction · movement learning · contemporary dance