New research into how the play industry can be more inclusive for people with vision impairment has been published.
To mark Blind Awareness Month, Percussion Play, the leading designer and manufacturer of outdoor musical instruments, has been working with the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) and The Amber Trust to understand how music-making outside can be made more accessible for young people who are blind, have low vision, or are partially sighted.
The research has fed into a White Paper, The Sounds of Progress, which includes verbal feedback and maps out some provisional ways in which music might be mobilised to create more genuinely inclusive play environments.
Findings included:
* The design of the instruments is important - from where the bell or chime is placed in relation to the stand can make a significant difference to the user’s safety.
* The size of the beaters for some instruments should be considered.
* Tactile and interesting textures could be incorporated more into the design of instruments to support inclusive play.
* The role of colour, contrast and reflectivity or ‘shiny’ surfaces should be recognised in designing instruments.
“Not all businesses are like Percussion Play and consider the needs of disabled consumers when designing and developing products to bring to the market,” said Julie Davis, CEO of the Royal Society for Blind Children, in a foreword to the White Paper.
“However, with the “purple pound” being worth £274 billion a year to the UK economy, we'd really encourage businesses to take an inclusive approach to the blind and partially sighted people that are their potential consumers and ensure their accessibility to music.
“Working with Percussion Play demonstrates to us that there are businesses out there that wholeheartedly embrace the principles of inclusivity and accessibility, so that every child can enjoy outdoor musical instruments.”
To find out more visit https://www.percussionplay.com/ or https://www.rsbc.org.uk/
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