 Findings of an evaluation into how physical disability is identified, responded to, and supported within The OHMI Trust’s Whole Class Ensemble Teaching (WCET) programme, have been published by the Birmingham Music Education Research Group (B-MERG) at Birmingham City University (Kinsella, V. Booth, N. Anderson, A. Whittaker, A. (2026) OHMI Reveal Evaluation. Birmingham City University)).
Despite clear national policy commitments to equitable access, physical disability remains one of the most under-identified and least addressed dimensions of inclusion in WCET. The BCU evaluation was commissioned as part of an Arts Council England funded project to enhance understanding of barriers to musical participation and to develop equitable pathways for children with physical disabilities. In particular, it examines the effectiveness of OHMI Reveal – a digital platform created by music disability charity, The OHMI Trust to help schools and Music Hubs systematically identify children who may benefit from adaptations or alternative approaches within WCET. The report drew on mixed-methods evidence from nine participating Music Hubs, including analysis of OHMI Reveal data, focus groups with music teachers and Inclusion Leads, school case studies, and interviews with young people. The evaluation found that the OHMI Reveal system enables earlier identification of physical access needs and that it supports equitable access to instrumental learning, with feedback from the nine Music Hubs evidencing that the system is robust and transferable. Giving Music Hubs early sight of pupils’ needs means they can plan for adaptation rather than respond reactively once teaching is underway. However, structural misalignment across school, hub, and funding timelines means identified needs do not consistently translate into timely assessment and adaptation. Birmingham City University Professor Victoria Kinsella said: “OHMI Reveal’s effectiveness depends on professional judgement, relational knowledge, and pedagogical expertise. The Teachers and Inclusion Leads we interviewed described how nuanced, task-specific physical and sensory needs often emerge only through music-making itself and require interpretation, dialogue, and adaptation beyond what can be captured through survey data. It’s critical, therefore, that specialist expertise within Music Hubs is maintained, with peer-led professional learning fully supported.” OHMI General Manager Rachel Wolffsohn said: “It’s reassuring to know that the B-MERG findings affirm our view that OHMI Reveal has reached a level of maturity where its core principles, structure, and use are transferable beyond the current cohort of Music Hubs. As a small charity, this is not work that we can do alone – we need the support of partners within Music Hubs, schools and policy makers who are committed to consigning to the history books any barrier to music-making that disabled children might face. “We fully agree with the findings of the evaluation that OHMI’s remit is not to deliver WCET or to assess pupils directly but to put in place mechanisms that others can easily adopt. If we are to collectively implement this proven approach across all Music Hubs in the country, it will take both additional resources and funding.” The OHMI Reveal Evaluation can be accessed here.  The OHMI Trust has accepted an invitation to join the International Alliance of Accessible Music (IAAM).
IAAM was founded by The Music Man Project (UK) and AllegroModerato (Italy) with the objective of reversing perceptions of disability through music education and performance. Membership of an alliance with a similarly international reach affords OHMI the opportunity to connect with an even greater number of accessible music education and performance providers around the world. We’re looking forward to sharing our passion for, and knowledge about, accessible music-making and to learning from the experiences of others. Founder member of IAAM and The Music Man project, David Stanley BEM, said: “While relatively rare, we know there are other organisations across the globe using music education and performance to change lives and reverse perceptions. Our new challenge is to find them all, to learn from them, to support them and to collaborate with them. One such organisation is OHMI whose incredible work in matching disabled musicians with adapted musical instruments and enabling equipment makes them a perfect fit for IAAM.” Rachel Wolffsohn, General Manager of The OHMI Trust, said: “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with David whose former role as the UK Disability & Access Ambassador for Arts & Culture and whose decades of advocating for the rights of disabled people in music-making are a true inspiration to those in our sector. We’re very much looking forward to what we might achieve together.”  Dr Deborah Amend and Jennifer Petry at the 2025 OHMI Conference How do you motivate students who are not allowed in the same space as traditional students? That was a key question posed by music educators Dr. Deborah Amend and Jennifer Petry when they spoke at OHMI’s Annual Conference & Awards in March 2025.
Both educators are also parents of children with adaptive musical needs and are well placed to know how to encourage such motivation. Their experience has led to two major developments: firstly, the creation of a space uniquely available to adaptive musicians – CAAMC (the Cincinnati Adaptive Arts and Music Camp); and secondly, the creation of a Music Adaptation Plan (MAP) for every child in attendance. CAAMC students attending over the last ten years have been invited to inform Deborah and Jennifer’s research on what motivates them to play music. Motivating factors for children with adaptive needs Whilst what motivates one individual does not necessarily motivate another, musicians would often report that putting on their own concerts where they proved themselves capable was highly motivating. When a musician adapts their playing, it can often create a different and individual sound they can uniquely call their own. Seeing the results of your hard work paying off was also high on the list – not only because it meant being able to play more difficult pieces but also because the journey to becoming more accomplished was fun. Conversely, the vibe from others that it was ‘a chore’ to have to move adapted equipment on their behalf, was hugely demotivating. Musicians often came back to their experiences of CAAMC being a key contributor to their own motivation levels. It was cited as an important space where each musician could learn their own adaptations by watching others. It was also somewhere where they knew, and appreciated, being pushed – where ‘missing a limb was not an excuse!’ They also indicated that often they gave up because they did not sound good. Individual musical ability aside, the instrument itself needs to be good enough to enable the musician to progress to the highest level they might choose. Added to that, even an instrument perfectly suited to a musician at the start of their musical journey may become less suitable over time. Unlike their traditional counterparts that may have changed little over the centuries, adapted musical instruments are often new, sometimes bespoke and should continually evolve. The importance of a Music Adaptation Plan (MAP) Every child, regardless of whether they play a traditional or adapted instrument, should have a music education plan. The need simply becomes even greater for adaptive students as many of their needs are bespoke, while others may be pedagogically traditional. Teachers often make the mistake in thinking that all needs are adaptation-oriented when in fact many of them are not (for example, left-hand technique development pedagogy being standard). The MAP plays an important part in tracking an instrument’s (and its adaptation, or “connective equipment”) suitability over time. As a child physically grows, gets more advanced in their playing and as they adopt new genres, so too will their expectations of an instrument and it is likely to need further adaptation. It soon became apparent that how to best complete the plans was subject to interpretation by the music teachers completing them. Deborah determined to introduce a more standardised approach and set about mapping the data captured from 27 MAPs, according to:
The MAP has proved useful in guiding the teacher in areas to consider for adaptive instruction while also emphasising what is traditional technique. An outcome of Deborah’s research was that once the adaptive manner of playing was created, traditional technique and instructions still assumed a larger role in the student’s education. In some cases, once the adaptation was created, everything was traditionally taught. A collective approach to adaptive music-making A MAP for every child may be a key outcome of CAAMC, but the effectiveness of these plans starts with the camp’s commitment to combining the knowledge and expertise of multiple voices – student, parent, teacher, occupational therapist and engineer – to identify the best solution. The student will know what they enjoy playing. The parent will know what motivates their child and how far they can be pushed. The teacher will understand the pedagogy for the instrument, the repertoire and what an instrument is capable of. The occupational therapist will know what the child is physically capable of. The engineer will know which tools, materials and manufacturing process may present the best option. The musicians at CAAMC benefit from an instrumental lesson every day with a teacher, with an occupational therapist providing insights for the creation of any adapted devices. Engineer volunteers from May We Help (a Cincinnati organisation that provides free custom-made solutions for people with disabilities) captures requirements at the start of the week, returns with solutions mid-week, and then assesses their suitability at the end of the week once a child has had time to become familiar with and use the instrument or piece of enabling equipment. Parents are involved at every step of the way. The final solutions for the year are filmed so that the student and parent are fully versed on what the instrument can achieve and how it should be positioned. This video, together with a MAP, is an important resource for a student’s music teacher back home (families travel significant distances to attend the camp so the plan gives teachers as much information as possible to give them the confidence to teach adaptive students). Creating MAPs that are informed by multiple experts gives each student, together with their teacher, the best opportunity to advance their music-making and, as Jennifer points out, their motivation only serves to “drive the map higher and higher”. Further information CAAMC (the Cincinnati Adaptive Music Camp) 2026 will take place 19-24 July, 2026 at Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY. Recordings of Jennifer and Deborah’s presentations at the OHMI Conference & Awards can be accessed at:
 Aiden Post with a one-handed saxophone after acquiring a brain injury March marks Brain Injury Awareness Month, a campaign to raise awareness of the impact of brain injuries caused by sports, accidents and long-term disabilities.
For anyone who has lost the use of a limb, it can be a challenging and upsetting time with a loss of those activities that can usually be counted upon to lift mood. For some people, this might be sport. For others, creative pastimes like playing a musical instrument. Musicians often see music as a key part of their identity. When that’s taken away, it can create a loss of confidence, and musicians with adaptive needs often report a profound sense of grief. A slow but sure return to music-making brings the emotional benefits of reducing stress hormones and increasing dopamine levels but also supports social reconnection when playing in a group. Music-making brings significant benefits for a patient’s physical recovery too. It is one of very few activities that activate the whole of the brain at the same time, including the Motor cortex (for movement); Auditory cortex (hearing); Visual cortex (reading music); Cerebellum (coordination); Prefrontal cortex (planning & attention); and Limbic system (emotion). The road to recovery is often, however, a long one. We’ve listed some of the ways music-making can help address the challenges associated with a brain injury:
Digital instruments are also available which require a lighter action compared to a traditional musical instrument such as the Artiphon Instrument 1 (an entry level solution that looks like the neck of a guitar but can create a variety of sounds), the LinnStrument (that can be played through any midi software); and Chapman Stick (which plays like a guitar). The OHMI Instrument Hire Scheme offers over 400 different instruments and pieces of enabling equipment for musicians with adaptive needs and, for musicians who are unsure about which adapted instrument or enabling equipment might be best suited to their needs, OHMI Connect is a free online resource to help inform their decisions.
Have a question about your return to music-making after a brain injury? Feel free to get in touch with the team at OHMI. |
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