Digital Accessibility Handout

By  GALA Expert 

 August 8, 2023 

 Download Resource 

To be used in with the Digital Accessibility section of New Harmony Workbook Volume II.

 

Instructions

  • Identify the issue/s surrounding equity, access and belonging in each scenario.
  • Reflect on how this situation may, or may not, be relevant or present in your own chorus.
  • Brainstorm a range of possible responses to the scenario.
  • Determine who in your chorus is responsible to speak up, challenge, or support the issue presented?
  • Record your conversations and responses for reporting back to the larger group.

Scenarios for Discussion

  1. Amir clicks on your choir audition welcome video. It has no captions so he contacts the chorus to indicate he needs captions in order to access the video. You have never received a request like this before and no one in the chorus knows how to caption a video. A week later you realize that no one has responded to Amir and auditions are coming up.
  2. A singer with low vision requests a digital copy of a piece of music so that they can use the zoom feature on their tablet to make the words and notes bigger. You scan the music and email it to them but are surprised when you receive an email the next day saying that they cannot read it because the words and notes become distorted when magnified.
  3. Your chorus has decided to go green. Rather than printing paper programs, your website lists a URL to download a digital program. Printed signs outside the concert hall also include a QR code to access the program digitally.
  4. A new soprano singer signs up for auditions and indicates in the notes field that she is blind. She arrives 10 minutes late because she is not able to read the sign on the front door indicating how to enter the building, and no one was available at the chorus office phone. She indicates that she has perfect pitch and is able to recall and learn music very quickly. At the first rehearsal, the music librarian hands her a music packet and lets her know that rehearsal tracks will be ready by the third rehearsal.

Action Steps
What are some concrete steps your chorus could undertake to better address digital accessibility?