Striving to remove barriers that prevent us from building Vibrant, Diverse, Inclusive, Accessible Communities!
Michelle Guadalupe Felix Garcia, a Blind sound engineer from Mexico, has broken new ground in the live events industry by showing how accessible audio technology enables Blind People to participate and even compete. Supported by Clair Global, the Audio Accessibility Alliance (AAA) is an industry think tank focused on fostering conversations and driving change around disability in entertainment technology and live event production. This collaboration highlights the importance of striving to remove barriers that prevent us from building Vibrant, Diverse, Inclusive, Accessible Communities!
Michelle’s credentials include convincing Coldplay’s management to let her play Chris Martin’s piano and being personally asked by Chris Martin to help record at their Malibu studio. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Music, Recording Technology, and Audio Design. After earning her degree, she obtained Blindness skills training at the Colorado Center for the Blind. Michelle’s expert use of Pro Tools—which must follow WCAG Accessibility Standards for true accessibility—demonstrates how inclusion and accessibility provide equal access to complex audio production tools. Features like text-to-speech enable full participation without relying on visual waveforms. This created valuable collaboration with key industry players like Live Nation, Cohesion, and Sennheiser, emphasizing the critical role of accessible technology in community building.
The AAA also supports Low Vision artist JJ, an 11-year-old aspiring rapper. Through partnerships with VisionCorps and Clair Global, JJ receives hands-on recording and mentorship opportunities. This example shows how striving to remove barriers allows Blind and Low Vision People to share their talents fully and contribute to vibrant cultural communities, advancing inclusion and accessibility in the arts.
Michelle’s journey—from Mexico to San Diego, where she pursued higher education despite discouragement—underscores the ongoing need for advocacy and commitment to accessibility in the industry. The AAA, facilitated by Clair Global, is working to make accessibility an industry standard rather than an exception. Join the movement in striving to remove barriers that prevent us from building Vibrant, Diverse, Inclusive, Accessible Communities by supporting initiatives like the Audio Accessibility Alliance.
Read the Full Article: Clair Global Backs Audio Accessibility Alliance
by: Clair Global
Also see: Lets add Accessibility to the Mix
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