Q&A: Exploring music as an aid for people with vision impairment, blindness
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Key takeaways:
- Voice commands, loud tones or beeps and haptic feedback can be overwhelming for people with low vision.
- Personalizing visual aids creates a more comfortable experience and builds familiarity and confidence.
Since its launch in 2020, the Lighthouse Guild’s podcast “On Tech and Vision with Dr. Cal Roberts” has highlighted ways in which technology can improve the lives of people who are blind or have low vision.
In its latest episode, Calvin W. Roberts, MD, podcast host and president and CEO of the Lighthouse Guild, spoke with the team at Benvision, which has developed an app that uses music cues to help visually impaired individuals navigate buildings and outdoor venues.
Healio spoke with Roberts to better understand how music can be used in this way and learn more about the latest audio-based assistive technology for people with vision loss.
Healio: How can music help people with low vision or blindness?
Roberts: Music can be a powerful tool for helping people with low vision or blindness by providing emotional, cognitive and functional support. It can enhance orientation and mobility through rhythmic cues that may help individuals pace their movements. Music therapy can also be used to reduce anxiety, improve mood and promote relaxation, offering emotional benefits that support mental health.
For learning and memory, musical rhythms or melodies can serve as mnemonic devices, aiding in the recall of important information or instructions. Additionally, music provides social and recreational engagement, allowing individuals to participate in community activities or group music-making, which fosters social connections.
In a broader sense, music can offer a means of self-expression and creativity, enhancing quality of life and well-being.
Healio: What new technology utilizes sound for low-vision patients?
Roberts: Several new technologies utilize sound to assist low-vision patients by enhancing navigation and accessibility. I speak with many innovators regarding such technologies that utilize sound on our podcast, “On Tech and Vision.”
There are wearable devices that provide audio-based guidance or real-time descriptions, while AI-powered screen readers offer advanced auditory feedback for visual elements on screens. Smart glasses from companies such as eSight, Envision and Meta convert visual input into audio descriptions, and crowdsourcing apps like BeMyAI and Seeing AI deliver live or AI-generated audio guidance can help with daily tasks including reading, describing photos and identifying products.
Additionally, sonar-based mobility aids such as the WeWalk smart cane provide sound alerts to help users avoid obstacles. These innovations leverage sound to increase independence and safety for individuals who are blind or have low vision.
However, when it comes to navigation technology for people who are blind or visually impaired, many apps utilize voice commands, loud tones or beeps or haptic feedback, which can become overwhelming. I recently spoke to the team at Benvision. Through the use of a smartphone app and earphones, Benvision enables users to navigate through musical cues. The technology creates immersive soundscapes that allows users to take in their surroundings and intuitively navigate them.
Healio: How can clinicians help low-vision patients who want to use this kind of technology?
Roberts: When using sound as a tool for low-vision patients, clinicians should tailor solutions to individual preferences, ensuring that auditory aids are not overwhelming and help reduce cognitive load.
Personalization of sound settings, such as adjusting volume or pitch, allows for a more comfortable experience, while consistent sound patterns help patients build familiarity and confidence. Most importantly, as with any technology, training is crucial to ensure patients can effectively navigate sound-based tools, which should be integrated with other aids like tactile or visual cues for a balanced approach.
Clinicians should also consider their patient’s age, as aging creates limitations with vision and hearing, and environmental factors such as background noise. It is also important to empower patients by offering choices that fit their lifestyle and enhance independence.
Healio: What else should our readers know?
Roberts: Optometrists have the opportunity to provide valuable assistance to their patients beyond medical treatment. Even if medical intervention is not an option, clinicians can still offer solutions to help patients achieve their goals and prevent depression or isolation that often accompany a diagnosis of vision loss.
With access to vision rehabilitation and the latest adaptive technologies, including simple apps on smartphones, we are well-equipped to empower our patients to lead the lives they aspire to.
References:
- Benvision. https://ben.vision/. Accessed Oct. 28, 2024.
- Navigation with music is topic of new episode of “On Tech and Vision” podcast. https://lighthouseguild.org/news/navigation-with-music-is-topic-of-new-episode-of-on-tech-and-vision-podcast/. Published Sept. 26, 2024. Accessed Oct. 28, 2024.
For more information:
Calvin W. Roberts, MD, is president and CEO of the Lighthouse Guild.
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