Two of the most popular DAWs used for electronic music production are a big part of this journey. Ableton has been at the forefront of providing accessible features and add-ons that help users unleash their creativity, with Ableton Live 12 being the most accessible version yet. For blind and visually impaired users, adaptable high-contrast themes and interface options have been a major boost, and the software is also compatible with screen readers such as VoiceOver, NVDA, Narrator and JAWS. Alongside the spoken feedback function, there are also extra options like “Speak Menu Commands” and “Speak Minimum and Maximum Slider Values”. Ableton’s keyboard-based navigation is also central to its accessibility — beneficial to all, but especially to those with visual or mobility-based impairments.
Another industry standard DAW, Apple’s Logic Pro X, utilises the macOS accessibility tools, while the VoiceOver support feature can also be set up for both playback and recording, announcing the playhead’s specific position when you start or stop playback and recording. For the visually impaired, Logic can follow the accessibility settings enabled on your system, increasing the size of right-click menus and fonts in particular regions, groups and tracks, plus enabling a thicker playhead for better visibility. Fully customisable, you can also save and switch between screensets to speed up your workflow. Better still, Logic Magician has been especially designed as an enhancement tool for blind users so that most of the actions you will need when creating music are only a click away.
Check out this YouTube video on how to use Logic Pro as a blind person with VoiceOver, and check out this dedicated Substack called The Blind Logic Pro, a user-friendly platform sharing knowledge, resources and skills for fellow blind users.
Dive in below to find out about 13 more accessible music-making tools, ranging from instruments focused on fun and education, tactile and hands-free hardware, and flagship kit and add-ons for aspiring producers and live artists.
