Creating an Online Ensemble for Home Based Disabled Musicians: Disabled Access and Universal Design - why disabled people must be at the heart of developing technology.

The project takes a Universal Design approach to exploring the possibility of creating a software platform to facilitate a Networked Ensemble for Disabled musicians. In accordance with the Nothing About Us Without Us (Charlton, 1998) principle I worked with a group of 15 professional musicians who are also disabled. The group gave interviews as to their perspectives and needs around networked music practices and this data was then analysed to look at how software design could be developed to make it more accessible. We also identified key messages for the wider design of digital musical instrument makers, performers and event organisers to improve practice around working with and for disabled musicians.