Hackcessible

Accessible Sheet Music

Vicky is a euphonium player with a visual impairment. Her challenge was to find a way to make sheet music more accessible.

The winning team wrote a program to scan sheet music, edit it into a more accessible format and allow Vicky to navigate it using foot pedals all while being able to access the music from her phone or tablet. The future for the work done by Team Vicky could greatly benefit visually impaired musicians all over the world and make a real difference in their lives.

Nerve Rehabilitation Device 

After a particularly nasty fall, Pauline soon discovered that she had sustained a brachial plexus injury. (That’s an injury to the bunch of nerves that carry signals from the spinal cord to the arm and hands!) As a result, she found herself unable to extend her left hand at her wrist- as well as experiencing complete numbness throughout the hand and fingers. This was a dangerous situation to be in as Pauline, as without pain, she couldn’t tell which positions she could leave her hand in and which were causing her further damage. Pauline needed a mechanical engineering project that was adapted to her specific injury and could help her exercise her hand safely as she recovered. 

Drum Kit for Wheelchair Users 

Pictured is 11-year-old Xavier, whose Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy means he requires adaptations to his drum kit. Xavier’s goal is to be able to use the drum kit pedals while sat in his wheelchair. The students’ task was to explore how the pedals could be operated or positioned to allow them to be controlled effectively, as well as explore ways of supporting Xavier’s arms in a playing position. 

French Horn Support 

Chris posed the challenge of developing a support for his French horn to enable him to continue his professional playing career. See how the team approached the development of a solution and the end result!