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27th August 2026
60k Disabled children & young people in Greater Manchester by 2030: is music education ready?
By 2030 an estimated 60,000 children and young people in Greater Manchester of education age will have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP), almost double the current figure of around 38,000. (ONS)
Youth Music research shows that 52% of Disabled children and young people cannot find music teachers to meet their access needs and only 27% of council music services hold any accessible instruments.
Is music education ready to support the 60,000 children and young people who will need specialist support?
Currently, no.
So, what do we need to do?
If we’re serious about ensuring that every child can access meaningful music-making, we need to think beyond simply increasing the number of music sessions available.
We need to build capacity, confidence and specialist knowledge across the whole music education workforce.
This means:
– Training specialist music practitioners We need more practitioners with the knowledge and practical skills to work confidently with Disabled children and young people, including those with complex communication, sensory, physical and learning needs
– Building the confidence of teachers, TAs and school staff Schools need staff who feel confident embedding music into everyday school life, creating a sustainable culture of music, not relying solely on visiting specialists.
– Making Assistive Music Technology (AMT) more accessible Technology can remove barriers that prevent Disabled people from participating in music. We need to support practitioners and educators on how to use it easily, creatively, meaningfully and responsively.
– Building sustainable partnerships Music organisations, Music Hubs, schools, teachers, practitioners and technology specialists need to work together if we are going to meet the current and future needs of Disabled children and young people.
At OmniMusic, we are preparing for 2030 now:
– Developed with support from Youth Music, our online AMT Resource Hub is demystifying specialist AMT knowledge, making it easier to understand, access and put into practice.
– Throughout the year, we offer in person training for practitioners and educators who want to develop their inclusive music practice, giving people the opportunity to explore AMT, different approaches, share learning and build confidence in a supportive space.
– We offer termly training sessions for schools, focusing on building a sustainable culture of music for their students. This includes exploring how music can be embedded across the wider curriculum, developing staff confidence, using technology effectively and identifying practical ways to enable more students to learn through and with music.
This is the shift we need to see: from specialist knowledge being held by a small number of practitioners, to knowledge being shared across the wider education and music workforce.
Because if we’re going to support 60,000 Disabled children and young people by 2030, we need to start building that capacity now.
