To mark World Sight Day (10th October 2024), 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. This research aims to make play areas around the world more accessible and safer.  

The research entailed Percussion Play holding two events at the RSBC’s Life Without Limits Centre in London with group and individual-focused musical workshops and instrument demonstrations for blind and visually impaired children and adolescents in the UK.  

Percussion Play also invited the RSBC to its headquarters in Hampshire. The sessions were designed to garner feedback on the design of the instruments with the aim of making them more accessible and user-friendly for blind, low vision and partially sighted users. Instruments included Percussion Play’s uniquely designed drums, xylophones, bells and chimes.  

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined by Julie Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Society for Blind Children to find out more about how the collaboration came about, reflecting on the workshops, talking about the work that went in to the publication of the white paper ‘The Sounds of Progress’ and the importance of accessible play areas for young visually impaired people. 

To read the white paper ‘The Sounds of Progress’ and to find out more about the Royal Society for Blind Children do visit their website - https://www.rsbc.org.uk

(Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)