A college student in the United Kingdom has developed software that allows the visually impaired to create electronic music with ease. After performing at a music festival in 2017, Ché Leader was in a serious car accident that left him hospitalized with a split tongue, broken nose, and chipped tooth. While he recovered, he also suffered severe eye injuries and is now visually impaired, experiencing chronic pain and psychological problems from the incident.
The difficulties he faces each day and his background in sound design inspired him to create something that helps others in a similar situation. While specifics on his application have not yet been revealed, Leader's software allows users to create electronic music with less reliance on sight than your average digital audio workstation.
In a quote obtained by the Newham Recorder, Leader explained how his struggles guided his push for software accessibility.
I have had to go through a lot of operations on my eye and am now visually impaired, but the silver lining is that it inspired me to focus on developing applications for new software and take my studies and career aspirations in a different direction.
My music project has been heavily inspired by my own visual impairment, as it made me realise how easy it can be to adapt everyday hobbies and practices to make them accessible.
Alongside his technical contributions, Leader is a music producer, MC, and DJ. He performs under the name Rivibes and has toured both locally and overseas. Those interested can follow his inspiring journey and check out some of his tunes on his social media channels below.
FOLLOW RIVIBES:
Facebook: facebook.com/RivibesMusic
Instagram: instagram.com/rivibes
Twitter: twitter.com/Rivibes_
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/rivibes