May 2, 2007
What if You Are Seeing Impaired?

Yesterday, we explained the four reasons why the Hugh Tracey kalimbas have some tines painted. Someone who doesn't see well enough to take advantage of the painted tines can still benefit from at least two of those four reasons--if the painted tines get a drop of goo put on them!

There is a type of marking goo which dries into a hard plastic, and this can be put near the tips of the kalimba tines so the seeing impaired kalimba player can feel those tines and still get the relational advantage. If you do this, you may need to retune those tines, as extra mass at the end of the tine will make the pitch go down a bit.

There is also a liquid plastic that dries to a colored bump on the surface. It is called 'Slick' by Tulip and is available at some craft stores as well as stores that serve persons with visual impairments, such as indepedentliving.com. It comes in several colors (color need being a function of the person and their particular visual impairment).

 

 

 

 

;