Music is often described as the universal language but for blind and low vision communities, participating in it can be difficult when you cannot read sheet music or see visual cues.
Tactile and Technology Literacy Centre chief executive Chantelle Griffiths hoped to change that after receiving a funding boost to develop a Braille music curriculum.
The initiative received a $208,000 grant from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage as part of the Covid Regeneration Fund.
The money is being used to develop and design the curriculum, train people who are blind in music-related skills, proofreading Braille music and teaching.
“What we’re doing with this is creating some tactile graphics with Braille text to bridge the gap between the familiar, for people who had vision had may have lost it over time, with the unfamiliar of Braille,” Griffiths said.
Developed alongside Braille music specialists, the curriculum included music books that would allow blind or low vision people to participate with their sighted peers.
Griffiths, who lost her vision after being diagnosed with an optic nerve condition as a child, said the curriculum was “quite revolutionary” and that the reception had been “really positive”.
“We’ve had people who haven’t touched their instruments or sung a note since they lost their vision, and they are not able to do that.”
A singer and pianist, Griffiths said it was important that the curriculum was “really accessible to people”.
“That’s a huge key for us to make sure people can access whatever opportunities musically that they want to access.”
