This paper explores the intersection of Western art music and disability in relation to musical performance. Building on Joseph Straus's essay titled "Normalizing the abnormal: disability in music and music theory", this paper explores three main topics: the theoretical distinction in Disability Studies between impairment and disability; the practical implications of this demarcation for performers; and the public and critical reception of musicians with physical impairments. Finally, I explore recurring narratives of disability, paying special attention to the ways narratives of accommodation can assist both musicians and audiences to represent impairment as part of rather than a distraction from musical experience. (Contains 16 notes.)