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A Volume to Vibrate With

Balloons for Tactile Sound

Holding a balloon to feel details of a musical score in a film is one way to sense what otherwise is sensed through aurality. This is not a practice that unmakes the persistent violence of audism. And, D/deaf clubs have historically visited cinemas with balloons to make the details of music and scores more accessible. This is in no way an alternative to accessible captioning, audio description and D/deaf representation in film by and for D/deaf audiences. Nor is it what SINS INVALID would speak about as language justice - meaning that everyone is free to express themselves, understood and listened to in whichever ways we communicate through, signing, speaking, texting or otherwise conveying what is on your mind or heart. Still, balloons here are a technology, that makes the score, dialogue and music felt through vibration, opening up other sensory modes of experience.
1. Two hands reach from the bottom of the image holding a rainbow shiny balloon and squeezing it a bit. Vibration could be felt.
2. Two hands reach from the bottom of the image holding a rainbow shiny balloon and squeezing it a bit. Vibration could be felt.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

By emitting vibrations of the opposite frequency, noise cancelling headphones make environments quieter, interrupting ongoing buzzings. Noise cancelling headphones make more access for neurodivergent, autistic and other people — and our accomplices who too crave less sensory input. With ties to the aviation and wartime industries- noise cancelling headphones are a technology that has been developed for other means that are not aligned with disability justice values.
1. The “up” side of Ren’s noise cancelling headphones are shown. On each ear are two printed stickers reading “HIRSTORIC” “STUBBORNNESS”.
2. The inside of Ren’s Noise Cancelling Headphones are shown, the inner “L” and “Right” are shown face up, they are black and made out of various plush and plastic materials.

Chi Machine

There are many names attached to the invention of the Chi Machine. In this Index for Disability Justice, I’ll share my first experience with using it after my friend bought one and I tried it for the first time.

Laying on the ground, I rested my ankles when I began to be shook side to side back and forth for 10 minutes. Laying there shaking, as the timer clicked down, I felt my pelvis loosen, my spine relax and the chatting of my friends nearby seemed to fall into the distance. Upon stopping the gentile shake - the machine clicked off. What followed was a massive rush where from my toes to my head I felt like I had been ‘reset’. A huge rush of energy moved up my body and then tingled down — as though I was in a wave of dry water — touching each of the nerve cells in my body with calm energetic energy. For me, I clocked this as a powerful regulation tool.

1. A chi machine sits, we view it from below - and can see the spots where two ankles would rest as to rounded divets. The whole machine is rounded and plastic.
2. A chi machine sits, we view it from behind - and can see the spots where two ankles would rest as to rounded divets. The whole machine is rounded and plastic.