After working with a blind intern, astronomer Elena Sabbi of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) started looking for ways to help the visually impaired enjoy images of space as much as sighted folks do. She believes he’s found it with “Reach for the Stars: Touch, Look, Listen, Learn,” a 90-page eBook scheduled for release in Apple’s iBooks store sometime in the near future.

The book is intended to be accessible to the nearly blind and totally blind alike by using auditory clues to fill in the gaps where the reader’s vision is lacking. For instance, when readers interact with a graphic of stars, brighter stars will register a higher pitch in the reader’s earbuds. Temperature will be conveyed by tones in either the left or the right ear. Even for sighted readers, the enhancements will help them to process and retain the information.

“It’s a way to convey information that there is a trend in the distribution of stars in the diagram,” Sabbi said in a press release. “If you are trying to explore the images with your finger you can get lost. This is a much stronger way to convey the information.”

The book, set to be 6 chapters long, is designed to appeal to the learning style of any child, regardless of their visual abilities. In addition to text, each chapter will include graphics, videos, animations and Q & A sessions, most of which are interactive. Audio/voiceover options are included, and there are also captioning and contrast settings to assist the hearing impaired and those with low vision.

The book was inspired by blind college intern Chelsea Cook, who worked with Sabbi two summers ago. In figuring out a way to help Chelsea interact with data on a computer, they came across scientist Max Mutchler’s work with tactile images. After building a successful website, Sabbi was encouraged to seek grant funding for the development of the eBook.

“‘Reach for the Stars’ shows the blind that there are no barriers to scare you,” she added. “And technology is improving so fast that we are sure you will be able to learn and to do things. Things are becoming more reachable.”