Music education is an important part of the school curriculum; it teaches children to be creative and to collaborate with others. Music gives individuals another medium to communicate through, which is especially important for individuals with cognitive or physical disabilities. Teachers of children with severe disabilities have expressed a lack of musical instruments adapted for these children, which leads to an incomplete music education for this group. This study aims at designing and evaluating a set of collaborative musical instruments for children with cognitive and physical disabilities, and the research is done together with the special education school Rullen in Stockholm, Sweden. The process was divided into three main parts; a pre-study, building and designing, and finally a user study. Based on findings from previous research, together with input received from teachers at Rullen during the pre-study, the resulting design consists of four musical instruments that are connected to a central hub. The results show that the instruments functioned as intended and that the design makes musical learning accessible in a way traditional instruments do not, as well as creates a good basis for a collaborative musical experience. However, fully evaluating the effect of playing together requires more time for the children to get comfortable with the instruments and also for the experiment leaders to test different setups to optimize the conditions for a good interplay.

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The field of research dedicated to Accessible Digital Musical Instruments (ADMIs) is growing and there is an increased interest in promoting diversity and inclusion in music-making. We have designed a novel system built into previously tested ADMIs that aims at involving assistants, students with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), and a professional musician in playing music together. In this study the system is evaluated in a workshop setting using quantitative as well as qualitative methods. One of the main findings was that the sounds from the ADMIs added to the musical context without making errors that impacted the music negatively even when the assistants mentioned experiencing a split between attending to different tasks, and a feeling of insecurity toward their musical contribution. We discuss the results in terms of how we perceive them as drivers or barriers toward reaching our overarching goal of organizing a joint concert that brings together students from the SEN school with students from a music school with a specific focus on traditional orchestral instruments. Our study highlights how a system of networked and synchronized ADMIs could be conceptualized to include assistants more actively in collaborative music-making, as well as design considerations that support them as facilitators.