"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 Anne Cochrane, Jin Kang, Audrey Girouard · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing · doi:10.1145/3615663
Summary
This study investigates the challenges blind and low vision (BLV) people face when learning music and identifies personal adaptations and design opportunities for assistive technologies. The researchers conducted one-hour semi-structured interviews with 40 participants across multiple countries: 19 amateur musicians, 10 professional musicians, and 18 music teachers (15 BLV and 3 sighted teachers with experience teaching blind students). Participants ranged from those blind since birth to those with low vision, with varying levels of braille music literacy. The analysis identified five themes. First, BLV music learners face key challenges including missing non-verbal cues and gestures (conductor signals, facial expressions, body language), difficulties with music reading through braille or audio recordings, and struggles understanding technical and conceptual instruction that relies on visual metaphors. Second, participants developed personal adaptations including listening carefully to conductors' breathing patterns, memorizing entire scores to avoid reading during performance, and using tactile modelling (hand-over-hand instruction) to understand technique and posture. Third, current assistive technologies only partially address these challenges—software like Sibelius and LIME provides screen reader accessible notation, and refreshable braille displays enable music reading, but significant gaps remain in supporting non-verbal communication and technical instruction. Fourth, the study revealed contention between braille music and auditory learning: many amateur musicians found braille cumbersome and preferred learning by ear, while professional musicians and teachers emphasized braille's importance for precision, collaboration, and accessing complex classical repertoire. Fifth, human support from family, teachers, and peers proved essential across all music learning contexts.
Key findings
The study identified that BLV musicians rely heavily on listening to interpret non-verbal cues—attending to conductors' breathing patterns, the rustle of clothing, and fellow performers' movements. Ten participants cited perfect pitch as a crucial tool for memorization and identification. Participants developed creative tactile adaptations: attaching textured stickers to instrument keys, using magnets representing rhythmic values on a tactile staff, and physically touching teachers' hands and faces to understand technique and expression. However, some teachers refused physical contact, creating barriers. Current technology limitations were stark: of 22 participants using technology for music, none found adequate support for understanding non-verbal cues or technical instruction. Single-line braille displays posed particular challenges for piano music, which requires reading two staves simultaneously. Some preferred physical braille scores over digital versions for easier navigation. Participants proposed future technologies including: vibrating piano keys to indicate which notes to play, wearable devices (watches, bracelets, glasses) that translate conductor gestures into vibrations, and multi-modal systems combining audio description, sound, and haptic feedback. All emphasized that technology must be hands-free to allow continued playing. The braille-versus-ear debate revealed context dependency: ear learning works well for simple pieces and amateur goals, but professional musicians found braille essential for precision and collaboration. Some teachers actively avoided teaching braille, which concerned participants who valued music literacy.
Relevance
This research provides concrete design guidance for accessible music technology. The finding that current ATs fail to address non-verbal communication and technical instruction highlights major gaps for developers to target. The proposed solutions—vibrotactile wearables, enhanced audio cues, multi-modal learning systems—offer specific directions for innovation. The interdependence framework applied here is particularly valuable. Rather than designing solely for independent practice, the authors recommend technology that augments relationships between students and teachers. For example, a haptic system could provide teachers with feedback about student performance challenges, enabling more targeted instruction. This challenges the assumption that AT should replace human support. For music educators, the study emphasizes the importance of tactile modelling, flexible pedagogy, and recognizing individual preferences for braille versus auditory learning. The finding that some teachers actively avoid teaching braille raises concerns about limiting students' future options. Practitioners should note the study's WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) sample limitation—all participants had access to Western instruments and technology. Music accessibility in other contexts may present different challenges. The exclusive focus on acoustic instruments also leaves digital music learning unexplored.
Tags: blind · low vision · music learning · music pedagogy · braille music · assistive technology · vibrotactile feedback · interdependence