Blind Music Therapist Helps Those With Disabilities Find Their Voice

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - A Santa Barbara music therapist who is legally blind is using her own experience to help people with disabilities connect through music.

Meghan Downing leads music sessions through ArtLabbé Academy, where participants sing, play instruments and take part at their own pace. Downing began losing her sight at age nine after being diagnosed with Stargardt disease.

Music became a major part of her life, leading her to study violin, piano, guitar and voice before continuing her training at Berklee College of Music and Perkins School for the Blind.

Today, she works with people with autism and developmental disabilities, using music as a way to build communication, confidence and connection.

ArtLabbé opened in Santa Barbara less than a year ago and now serves more than 140 participants each week across 12 classrooms and organizations. The program also gives artists opportunities to share and celebrate their work through competitions and other creative programs.

For Downing, the goal is simple: acknowledge the challenges, rise above them and help others experience the joy music can bring.

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