What happens when a child wants to take part in music, but the instrument itself creates the barrier? In this episode of The Equality Edit, Esi Hardy is joined by Rachel Wolffsohn, General Manager of The OHMI Trust, to explore inclusive music, adapted instruments, and why access is about much more than saying an activity is “open to all.” 

Rachel Wolffsohn works with The OHMI Trust, a Birmingham-based charity that supports physically disabled people to take part in music-making through adapted instruments, enabling equipment, and practical support. OHMI also runs OHMI Connect, a free online resource that helps disabled musicians identify instruments and equipment that may work for them. 

Rachel shares how her work began through her son’s experience of hemiplegia after a stroke, and the realisation that music-making was far less accessible than expected. The conversation explores why many traditional instruments are designed around the assumption of two hands, ten dexterous fingers, and a standard way of moving. 

Esi and Rachel discuss what this means in schools, music services, orchestras, choirs, and performance spaces. They talk about reasonable adjustments, adapted instruments, teacher confidence, assumptions around physical disability, and why inclusion must be planned across the whole experience, not only the lesson itself. 

This episode is a practical reminder that accessibility is not about lowering expectations. It is about removing barriers so disabled people can take part, progress, and choose what they want to do. 

Signposting:

- The OHMI Trust- https://www.ohmi.org.uk/ 
- OHMI Connect (our website to identify possible instruments for a variety of needs/teaching interests) - https://ohmiconnect.org.uk/ 
- Nicholas McCarthy - https://nicholasmccarthy.co.uk/ 
- Tony Memmel - https://www.tonymemmel.com/ 
- David Nabb - https://www.yamaha.com/artists/davidnabb.html 
- Felix Klieser - https://felixklieser.de/en/bio-en 
- Open Up Music - https://www.openupmusic.org/ 
- Drake Music - https://www.drakemusic.org/ 
- Music of Life - https://musicoflife.org.uk/ 

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