The development of a wheelchair controller that allows disabled artists to manipulate and create their own music and digital projections has won a national award.

Digit Music, one of the lead artists with the Inspire Youth Arts Able Orchestra, collected the Accessibility Award at the Tech4Goods Awards BT HQ in London, for his development of the Control One wheelchair.

Si Tew, who is the creative director of Digit, attended the awards along with members of the Inspire Youth Arts team and Jess Fisher, a young musician from Mansfield who has worked with Si on the development and has used the controller in headline performances across Nottinghamshire.

The controller has been developed over the last two years alongside young people in the acclaimed Able Orchestra and with support from Inspire Youth Arts, Nottinghamshire Music Hub and Arts Council funding as part of Inspire’s National Portfolio Organisation status.

In addition, Digit Music raised £7,500 through crowd funding, which will allow them to provide the controller kits to schools and give Jess a controller of her own to continue her music career.

Andy Dawson, IYA manager, said: “It was a fantastic event and a well deserved win for Digit along side many other projects innovating digital projects for the benefit of communities across the UK. Special guest at the event was Britain’s Got Talent winner Lost Voice Guy, a disabled comedian. Digit set up the controller at the event and people were trying it out and meeting Si and Jess.”

The Able Orchestra project has been developed and co-produced by Inspire Youth Arts (part of Inspire Culture, Learning & Libraries; a community benefit society) and Orchestras Live, a national music charity and producer.