Accessible Instruments in the Wild: Engaging with a Community of Learning-Disabled Musicians

Disabled people face many barriers to access in all areas of life, including creative expression. With music making, a lack of accessible instruments can be a major barrier, as well as environmental factors. The Strummi is an accessible instrument based on the guitar, designed as a technology probe to explore the technical and cultural role of guitar-like design and interaction modality. We have been collaborating with Heart n Soul, an arts charity that works with young people and adults with learning disabilities. In this paper, we share findings from the first year of this collaboration, and reflect on the implications for doing HCI research with learning-disabled communities. We took a longitudinal, situated approach with an intentionally simple technology inspired by in the wild and technology probe methodologies, allowing for interest in the Strummi to grow organically.