[SC-CSTD] Unique device brings solar eclipse experience to blind, low vision community

[Steve Cook]

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/09/28/unique-device-brings-solar-eclips
e-experience-to-blind-low-vision-community/


Unique device brings solar eclipse experience to blind, low vision community


Lightsound Project devices will go to San Antonio area organizations


 <https://www.ksat.com/team/PGCZSQOKCFDS7BOL76QHNYVFRE/> Tiffany Huertas,
Reporter

 <https://www.ksat.com/team/ZV4OBK2TRJCG3J35TFN4WTVQ7Y/> Robert Samarron,
Photojournalist

Published: September 28, 2023 at 12:25 PM

SAN ANTONIO - The University of Texas at San Antonio is collaborating with
Harvard University and building devices for the blind and low vision
community to experience the solar eclipse with sound.

"It has a high dynamic range of light sensors, so in bright lights it kind
of has a flute sound, and as we go into eclipse, as the moon eclipses the
sun, it gets dimer. So we go into a clarinet range. So the sound goes down
when the light goes down. So from flute to clarinet, to a low clicking sound
when you are in totality," said Allyson Bieryla, an astronomer at Harvard
University.

The Lightsound Project has done a workshop at several universities including
The University of Texas at Austin, Harvard University and the University of
Arizona.

"For blind or visually impaired folks it's been really wonderful to just be
included in an event and thought about beforehand and not after," Bieryla
said.

On Thursday morning, UTSA students and staff participated in a workshop at
the MakerSpace in the Science and Engineering building to put together the
LightSound devices.

"Once we realized we we're going to have these two eclipses in San Antonio,
then we wanted to host a workshop here," Lindsay Fuller, Eclipse Project
Manager at UTSA said.

UTSA student Tiffany Jensen has been connecting with the blind and low
vision community and introducing the LightSound device.

"They've heard of eclipses before, but that's not really for me. I can't see
it or I can't see it clearly enough and when they heard about these boxes
and I demoed these boxes for them, they immediately got really excited. They
were like, how can I get one," Jensen said.

The devices made here will go to local organizations.

San Antonio and the Hill Country have the rare luck of seeing two solar
eclipses within six months.

The first is an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023 and the second is
a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

"This is pretty once in a lifetime opportunity for folks, so the more people
we can engage in this and educate about the eclipse, it's great," Bieryla
said.

 

Steve Cook

You are invited to join us on the 1st and 2nd Friday of each month at 8:00
PM Eastern for audio described movies using the below Zoom platform! 

 <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8032543777?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09>
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8032543777?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09

Meeting ID: 803 254 3777

Passcode: 124578

 

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