On 15th and 16th March 2025, the OHMI Trust, in collaboration with Birmingham City University and Imperial College London, and Principal Supporter ABRSM, held 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 also encompassed the OHMI Competition awards.

Links to videos and other resources from the event will be uploaded here as soon as they are available.  Please keep checking in!

ABRSM is the Associated of the Royal Schools of Music, a global music education charity providing face-to-face and digital exams, sheet music, recordings, apps and courses for students and teachers around the world.
As a charity their donations encompass a range of grants, scholarships, awards, prizes and bursaries, for organisations and individuals. Visit the website here. 

Conference Abstracts

Click here to see all the 2025 OHMI Conference abstracts.

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2018 conference

In 2018, the OHMI Trust, in collaboration with Birmingham City University and Queen Mary University of London, hosted the inaugural OHMI Conference on Music & Disability: From Instrument to Performance.  

The event featured talks and performances by Valerie Thomforde, Neill Duncan, John Kelly and the Able Orchestra, with international representation from speakers from 5 continents. Over two days, 38 presentations, talks, demonstrations and performances took place on themes ranging from adaptive instrument making, adapted performance techniques, music education and assessment, and the moral rationales for undifferentiated participation.

Presentations from the 2018 conference are available via the OHMI website here