CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Metrolina Association for the Blind (MAB) partnered with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and Kidzu Children’s Museum to host an inclusive eclipse viewing event Monday. 

What You Need To Know

  • An eclipse viewing event will incorporate a sound device for people to hear the eclipse
  • The LightSound devices, which were distributed around the U.S. at no cost, convert light intensity into sound
  • Metrolina Association of the Blind and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation will be hosting an inclusive viewing event on Monday from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. 

During the event, people will be able to hear the eclipse. 

Jacob Clements, the Program Coordinator for MAB Vision Rehabilitation Services, collaborated with Kidzu Children’s Museum in Chapel Hill to organize the event. 

The museum is lending MAB a LightSound device developed at Harvard University that converts light intensity into sound. Over 750 of these devices were distributed at no cost to groups hosting eclipse events. 

“This event really tackles diversity and inclusion for everyone. If doesn’t matter how old you are, doesn’t matter if you have a disability or not. It’s an event where everyone can come together and share the same experience,” Clements said. 

Attendees will be able to hear the shift in musical tone once the moon casts the shadow on Earth through a speaker.

“I think it’s very meaningful because, up until we had something like this, there was just no way for people with low vision to experience an eclipse,” STEM and Outdoor Learning Coordinator Allie Lee with Kidzy Children’s Museum said.

Clements also incorporated other elements to ensure everyone could experience the eclipse. 

Safety glasses and a NASA tactile book with braille writing about eclipses are some tools offered at the event. 

“For individuals with low vision, they have the large print. For individuals with no vision, they can tactile read the braille, if they can read braille,” Clements said. 

If not, people can get a better feel of the moon, the sun and earth lining up by touching the book. 

“It tackles three major challenges,” Clements said. 

In North Carolina, the view of the partial eclipse will depend on location. According to our meteorologists, the moon will cover 70 to 80% of the sun in most areas of the state. However, in Boone the coverage will be 85%. 

This Charlotte event of the partial eclipse will take place at the East Regional Recreation Center’s Nested Hive sculpture outdoors from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. You can RSVP here.