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Close up of the AlphaTheta CDJ-3000X, professional DJ multi player, as part of a project on accessible DJing

Accessible DJing: A research collaboration with AlphaTheta and Drake Music

Department of Music research project
Close up of the AlphaTheta CDJ-3000X, professional DJ multi player, as part of a project on accessible DJing

This industry-funded project works directly with Disabled and neurodivergent DJs to identify practical solutions that help to remove barriers in music hardware and software.

The project

The University of Birmingham, AlphaTheta and Drake Music are partnering to redefine accessibility in DJ technology through Accessible DJing, a research‑driven collaboration focused on making DJ technologies more inclusive.

The project combines academic insight with industry expertise and lived experience of disability to produce research-informed guidelines to help develop more accessible DJ products and contribute new scholarship at the intersection of music technology, disability, creativity and accessible design.

Neurodiverse and Disabled DJs are invited to participate in hands-on workshops and respond to an online survey to generate actionable recommendations. It offers the chance to shape the next generation of DJ technologies, informed by Disabled DJs, helping create more inclusive products and unlocking new creative possibilities for more people.

The research will directly build on AHRC-funded research, led by Professor Maria Witek and recently published, that challenges assumptions about participation and accessibility in dance music culture, highlighting how Disabled DJs adapt DJ tools for performance, creative expression and learning.

Drake Music is a UK charity pioneering the use of accessible music technology to enable more people to make music and AlphaTheta is a developer of DJ and music technology. Together with the University of Birmingham, the project will be at the forefront of innovating DJ products in the music industry.

Publications

  • Witek MAG, Cooke C, Nash G, Heywood L. Disabled DJs and Dance Music Culture. Popular Music (2026), pp1-21.
  • Witek, M. A. G., Cooke, C., Nash, G., & Haywood, L. (2026). DJing and disability: Research Report. 

  • Participate

    Are you a Disabled DJ passionate about making DJing more accessible? Apply to attend our research days on Accessible DJing, in collaboration with AlphaTheta.

    The research days take place in July 2026, and participation will be compensated. The deadline to apply is 21 June 2026.

    Further info and application form

Research team

  • Professor Maria Witek

    Professor of Music Psychology

    Biographical and contact information for Maria Witek, Professor of Music Psychology at the University of Birmingham.

  • Dr Luis-Manuel Garcia-Mispireta

    Associate Professor in Ethnomusicology and Popular Music Studies

    Biographical and contact information for Dr Luis-Manuel Garcia, Associate Professor in Ethnomusicology and Popular Music Studies at the University of Birmingham.