Color Tone – a colorfully tactile way to experience sound

Color Tone is a set of tools, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing in Costa Rica, to experience the physicality of sound. It allows them to access sound and the information it contains by experiencing it through sight and touch. They can also use it with hearing people and share their experiences and feelings.

This experience is embodied by enabling access to sound, giving a new creative outlet for self-expression, encouraging shared experiences and new ways of communicating, and empowering people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The two main components are a portable device that translates sound into vibration and colors which allow people to learn the difference between each sound in a non-auditory way, and a music production tool that allows them to create music using the colors and tactile sensations that they experience with the portable device, and to share this experience with others who rely on hearing.