December 21, 2021 | Stories
Open data has the power to bring residents together to solve problems and improve the communities in which we live. Yet, there’s a gap in translating this information to reach blind and visually impaired (BVI) audiences. How can data be communicated with sound to increase access for all?
This question ignited an opportunity for WF, Sonify (a New York company focused on sonification with narrative) and Envision (a local nonprofit that improves the quality of life for those with little to no vision) to collaborate on an initiative to make data more accessible for the BVI community. Launched in early 2021, Data-Driven Storytelling: Making Civic Data Accessible with Audio is a one-year production, training and research project supported by the Knight Foundation Fund at WF.
Working with 15 BVI individuals across the country, the initiative enables hyperlocal newsrooms to test new methods of sharing open data with sound through audio production, listening sessions, hands-on workshops and applied research. A week-long program in September 2021 virtually engaged participating information outlet teams (The Journal, Planeta Venus and the Wichita Public Library) with experts from across the globe to explore unique ways of storytelling through audio.
As part of this learning process, these partners are experimenting with podcasts as a new digital content outlet.
“The Wichita Public Library works to provide equitable access to information – storytelling through sound will help us achieve that,” said Wichita Public Library Communications Specialist Sean Jones. “Sonification allows listeners to be immersed in a story to realize the full scope of the information that is being communicated.”
By learning how to infuse sound into data-driven storytelling, the groups aim to establish a clearer path to better engage with and benefit all residents in our communities.
“It’s not often that storytellers, technologists and applied researchers come together to problem solve ways to increase inclusivity and access to information,” said WF Chief Strategy Officer Courtney Bengtson. “The end result will be data-driven audio solutions we can all benefit from as consumers of information.”
The initiative is still in the works and will share findings in 2022.
