How MusicTeacher.com teamed up with Sound Without Sight to help everyone find the perfect music teacher Introduction Have you ever struggled to find a music teacher who is confident teaching a blind or partially sighted person? This shouldn’t be the case, but we hear it all too often.  A few weeks ago, we reported that MusicTeacher.com now allows musicians to filter teachers by the access requirements that they can support. There are teachers for many instruments and music technology apps, and you can search for both online lessons and in-person lessons in your area. When signing up, teachers are now asked which access requirements they can support, with options based on the Department for Education’s SEN categories. They then have three options to indicate their level of experience working with musicians with each category of access requirements that they have selected. Beginning today, teachers are also able to offer braille music code lessons via the platform. In this article, we each up with Matthew Rusk, Founder of the website, to learn more. Interview with Matthew Rusk, Founder of MusicTeacher.com JP: Why it was important to you to implement this functionality? MR: I have always believed that music should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their individual learning needs or physical abilities. By implementing this functionality, I aimed to create a more inclusive platform where students with specific access requirements can easily find teachers who are best suited to their needs. Whether students are blind or partially sighted, neurodivergent, or have other sensory, physical or cognitive challenges, this filter allows them to connect with teachers who can support their specific circumstances, creating a more inclusive and effective learning environment. JP: Without getting super techy and giving away all your secrets, I am wondering if you can share an overview of how you did this? MR: We collaborated with the team at Sound Without Sight to develop a simple yet highly effective filtering system that enables students to select their specific access requirements. Initially planned for a single page, the project’s success led us to implement the functionality across all search pages on the website by default. This filter helps users easily find music teachers who specialise in teaching students with particular access requirements. To achieve this, we created new data points in teacher profiles, allowing educators to specify how they can support learners with access requirements. We then encouraged our teaching community to complete these data points, as well as requiring all new teachers joining MusicTeacher.com to specify the access requirements that they can support. This then enabled us to create the filters that allow students to filter teachers by access requirements.  JP: How did you find the process of collaborating with other organisations to refine the prototype and launch an initial version? MR: Working with organisations such as RNIB, Sound Without Sight, and TiME was crucial in refining the prototype. Their insights and feedback helped me to create a prototype that best suited the unique challenges faced by students with sensory and cognitive impairments. In collaboration, we conducted multiple rounds of testing with these partners to ensure the filter options truly reflected the needs of the community. Together, we made adjustments to the wording of categories, improved the user interface to be more accessible, and ensured the platform is compliant with best practices for web accessibility. After refining the prototype based on their feedback, we launched an initial version, which we’re continuing to refine based on user input. JP: I know it’s early days, but have you received any feedback from teachers or students so far? MR: The response from teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. Many educators have expressed their appreciation for the platform’s commitment to accessibility, stating that it helps to connect them with students they might not have been able to reach otherwise. Teachers specialised in working with neurodivergent students or those with sensory impairments have noted that the new filters allow them to highlight their expertise and ensure that students feel supported right from the start. It has also led to some really positive conversations with external corporate partners, highlighting how MusicTeacher.com is committed to becoming the world leading music teacher registry. JP: How can students and teachers provide further feedback on this functionality? MR: We are keen to continue improving and expanding this functionality based on user feedback. If anyone has comments, suggestions, or experiences they’d like to share, they can reach us via email at info@musicteacher.com or by using the Help Centre on our website. We welcome all feedback as we strive to make MusicTRead More »How MusicTeacher.com teamed up with Sound Without Sight to help everyone find the perfect music teacher