We are an informally organized group of musicians, educators, and software developers interested in making music notation more accessible to blind and visually impaired musicians. Our goal is to provide information about existing tools and develop new ones as necessary that will make it as easy as possible to:
- enable all users to create Braille scores
- enable blind users to read scores electronically
- enable blind musicians to create scores in standard notation
- enable all authors to create music textbooks and other educational materials in an accessible form
- enable all educators to create worksheets, homework assignments, tests, and so forth in an accessible form
- enable blind or sighted students to complete worksheets et al electronically
- enable blind or sighted educators to read and grade worksheets et al completed by blind or sighted students
A number of excellent products exist to at least partially meet some of these needs, and we wish to make sure there are well-known to all who are interested. But where possible, we also wish to make sure there are free, open source, and cross-platform options available as well.
This project is formally got underway in August of 2013 but is based on work that has been going on for a number of years. Stay tuned for more information.
Meanwhile, we want to emphasize that this is meant to be a collaborative effort, and we welcome your input and participation. Please feel free to leave comments, make suggestions, and ask questions.
The Accessible Music Notation Project 
Interested in better enabling visually challenged musicians to access scores especially jazz standards.
Is that a music school that a blind student can attend to study music because I am looking for one for my child we live aboard and is trying to find a school that can prepare my son to get accept into a college to study music which is his passion.
Hello! Not sure where you are looking to find a school, but I suggest you check out the MENVI mailing list (www.menvi.org) and ask questions there – the people there are very helpful and informed. If you are talking about the the United Kingdom specifically, also check out the RNIB site (www.rnib.org.uk). Good luck!
I teach music in a public school for visually impaired, but it’s in Quebec, Canada
I think you should join the W3C Music Notation Community Group at
https://www.w3.org/community/music-notation/
Their Use Cases already include a section on Accessability:
https://www.w3.org/community/music-notation/wiki/MusicXML_Use_Cases#Accessibility
Thanks, I actually joined just a couple of days after it was announced 🙂 I hope to find more time to get involved in the future, but so far, I’ve just been a “lurker”.
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) is in the initial stages of developing a Digital Braille Music Repository for the mutual benefit of institutions that provide on-request braille sheet music to people with visual disabilities. The idea is that it would be the first place a disability resources office, music school, or other organization could turn when seeking to fulfill requests. Participating institutions would be able to contribute materials to the repository as well as access materials for the benefit of their own local users. We think it will reduce response time and avoid duplication of effort.
How can you help make this idea a reality? If your institution works with braille sheet music, we want your feedback. Please complete our short survey. It takes less than 5 minutes, and it can be found at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RZHDV28
If you have a listserv or social media outlet that reaches people who work with braille music, we would greatly appreciate it if you could post the following notice to let others know about our survey:
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Social Media Notice
NLS Digital Braille Music Repository – Please Take Our Survey
The Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) is developing a Digital Braille Music Repository. We are looking for pioneer contributors to help us create the most comprehensive digital braille music repository in the world. If you or your institution works with braille sheet music, we would appreciate your input. Please complete our short survey at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RZHDV28
It takes less than 5 minutes, and your input will help us design the best Repository possible. Thank you!
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Thank you and please feel free to be in touch with any questions or suggestions regarding the repository project!
Best regards,
-David
David Perrotta, MLIS
Network Division Programs Specialist
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave SE
Washington, DC 20540
(202) 707-0547
Email: dape “AT” loc “DOT” gov