[Menvi-discuss] Accessible Software for Composing Music

Mon Jan 4 18:45:15 UTC 2016

For the record, as of the 2.0.2 release, the free and open source music
notation program MuseScore (Windows, Mac, Linux) is still not fully
accessible, but continues to make strides, and this is our most accessible
release to date.  We have worked directly with people from RNIB to get a
sense of what works well and what does not.  But I think the focus has been
more on using MuseScore to access existing scores than to create new ones.
Right now, the palettes still require mouse action, so score creation is
limited to things that can be done without the palettes.  Which turns out
to be a pretty substantial amount, but unfortunately not enough to really
call this fully accessible.

Here is something I wrote up to help people learn what is currently
possible:

https://musescore.org/en/handbook/accessibility

We would welcome feedback from visually impaired people who are trying to
create music using MuseScore.  I suppose ideally, the disucssion should
take place on the forums at musescore.org, but I will certainly monitor
discussions here as well.

On Mon, Jan 4, 2016 at 9:38 AM David Goldstein - Resource Center <
info2 at blindmusicstudent.org> wrote:

> Hi Melissa,
>
>
> How serious is your daughter about composing, and do you think it will be
> a lasting interest?  I know I have seen your name on the lists before but
> can't remember the context.
>
> All the solutions people have given so far are excellent, and pretty much
> the only ones available if she wants to produce notation.  Since she uses
> the Mac, I'm concerned that in addition to needing a way to run Windows
> software on the Mac, she might also need to get the Jaws screen reader,
> which would add significantly to the costs.  If she just wants the thrill
> of producing multiple instrument tracks, you might consider something
> simple, like Garage Band, which I understand is accessible on IOS systems
> and probably the Mac.  If she does want to produce notation, then she will
> have to use Lime or Sibelius and get JAWS.  I have heard that people are
> experimenting using the free Windows screen reader NVDIA with current
> versions of Sibelius, but I don't think it's stable enough for someone
> without previous experience with Sibelius and access issues.
>
> David
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Melissa LaGrand <mjblagrand at gmail.com>
> *To:* This is for discussing music and braille literacy
> <menvi-discuss at menvi.org>
>
> *Sent:* Sunday, January 03, 2016 7:58 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [Menvi-discuss] Accessible Software for Composing Music
>
> Thanks, Bill.
>
> We are Mac-only at this point so I would have to do the VMWare Fusion.
>
> Melissa
>
> On Sat, Jan 2, 2016 at 1:34 PM, Chris Smart <csmart8 at cogeco.ca> wrote:
>
>> he did not say they work with Voiceover on the Mac. He said they work
>> inside a virtual Windows machine on the Mac, meaning you are still using
>> Windows and the Jaws screenreader.
>>
>> At 10:10 PM 1/1/2016, you wrote:
>>
>>> Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
>>>         boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0001_01D144D8.E281D800"
>>> Content-Language: en-us
>>>
>>> Hi Bill. Has GF and Lime worked with voiceover on the iphone? Iâ€™m
>>> asking because you said they work with voiceover on the mac. Thanks.
>>> Leslie
>>>
>>> From: Menvi-discuss [mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf
>>> Of Bill
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2015 8:30 AM
>>> To: 'This is for discussing music and braille literacy'
>>> Subject: [Menvi-discuss] Accessible Software for Composing Music
>>>
>>> Dear Melissa,
>>>
>>> In your search for accessible music software which your daughter can use
>>> to compose, be sure to consider Lime from Dancing Dots.  I myself am
>>> totally blind and have produced lead sheets, scores, and individual parts
>>> in standard print notation that sighted musicians have found quite
>>> readable.  The version of Lime that works best for people like me who use
>>> synthetic speech and braille is called Lime Aloud.  The version of Lime
>>> optimized for people with low vision is called Lime Lighter.
>>>
>>> Since Dancing Dots owns Lime and we are dedicated first and foremost to
>>> accessibility for visually impaired musicians, Limeâ€™s accessibility will
>>> only improve with new releases.  That is, you will not have any need to
>>> revert to an outdated version because accessibility of features that had
>>> been accessible in previous versions has been broken in a new release.
>>>
>>> Dancing Dots does offer free evaluation versions of our accessible
>>> notation software.  Please contact me off-list using my <mailto:
>>> info at DancingDots.com>info at DancingDots.com  address for instructions on
>>> how to access the private download link.
>>>
>>> Note: Lime and GOODFEEL (the braille music component of the suite of
>>> software) will now run under Windows10 and earlier version of Windows.
>>> However, the access features of Lime related to the JAWS screen reader will
>>> only work with JAWS 16 and earlier.  That is, we do not yet support JAWS
>>> 17.  Also, some users have reported success running Lime and GoodFeel under
>>> VMWare Fusion on a Mac computer.
>>>
>>> For details:
>>> Lime Aloud: <http://www.dancingdots.com/prodesc/limealoud.htm>
>>> www.dancingdots.com/prodesc/limealoud.htm
>>> Lime Lighter: <
>>> http://www.dancingdots.com/limelighter/limelightermain.htm>
>>> www.dancingdots.com/limelighter/limelightermain.htm
>>>
>>> Bill
>>>
>>> From: Menvi-discuss [<mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org>mailto:
>>> menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Melissa LaGrand
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2015 7:02 AM
>>> To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
>>> Subject: [Menvi-discuss] logic pro x
>>>
>>> Hello MENVI,
>>>
>>> Have any blind or VI people in the group worked successfully with Logic
>>> Pro X?  We would like to find accessible software that my blind daughter
>>> can use to compose.  From my own explorations on the web it doesn't look
>>> terribly accessible, but I'd like to hear from the experts.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Melissa LaGrand
>>> ---------
>>>
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>>
>> --- <
>> http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=635671&u=1109457&m=54749&urllink=&afftrack=>Learn
>> to meditate and train your brain with Muse, the first lab-grade EEG
>> biofeedback headband for home use!
>>
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