OHMI Conference and Awards 2025 Music and Physical Disability: Instruments, Performance and Sustainable Ecosystems

On 15th and 16th March 2025, the OHMI Trust, in collaboration with Birmingham City University and Imperial College London, and Principal Supporter ABRSM, will host a major conference exploring the barriers faced by people with physical disabilities to music-making, from the design and ongoing production of instruments to wide-ranging issues around performing. The event will also encompass the OHMI Competition awards.

The conference will build on the previous OHMI Conference in 2018 and you can see some of the presentation slides on the OHMI website.  This event aims to bring together perspectives and experiences from a wide range of people including disabled musicians, instrument makers, academic researchers from many different disciplines, teachers, charities, funders, and government agencies. Recently developed instrument designs will also be demonstrated.
 
The challenge to enable full and undifferentiated participation in music for people with physical impairments is a subject only recently receiving attention. We hope that sharing knowledge through this conference will stimulate further and more rapid developments in the coming years.

The conference is led by Dr Victoria Kinsella-Hadjinestoros | Birmingham City University in collaboration with OHMI and Imperial College London.