diff --git a/wp-includes/rest-api.php b/wp-includes/rest-api.php
index a505517015..d23931a589 100644
--- a/wp-includes/rest-api.php
+++ b/wp-includes/rest-api.php
@@ -485,6 +485,8 @@ function create_initial_rest_routes() {
 	$font_collections_controller->register_routes();
 
 	// Abilities.
+	$abilities_categories_controller = new WP_REST_Abilities_V1_Categories_Controller();
+	$abilities_categories_controller->register_routes();
 	$abilities_run_controller = new WP_REST_Abilities_V1_Run_Controller();
 	$abilities_run_controller->register_routes();
 	$abilities_list_controller = new WP_REST_Abilities_V1_List_Controller();
diff --git a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-abilities-v1-categories-controller.php b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-abilities-v1-categories-controller.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11246c4131
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-abilities-v1-categories-controller.php
@@ -0,0 +1,293 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * REST API ability categories controller for Abilities API.
+ *
+ * @package WordPress
+ * @subpackage Abilities_API
+ * @since 6.9.0
+ */
+
+declare( strict_types = 1 );
+
+/**
+ * Core controller used to access ability categories via the REST API.
+ *
+ * @since 6.9.0
+ *
+ * @see WP_REST_Controller
+ */
+class WP_REST_Abilities_V1_Categories_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
+
+	/**
+	 * REST API namespace.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 * @var string
+	 */
+	protected $namespace = 'wp-abilities/v1';
+
+	/**
+	 * REST API base route.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 * @var string
+	 */
+	protected $rest_base = 'categories';
+
+	/**
+	 * Registers the routes for ability categories.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @see register_rest_route()
+	 */
+	public function register_routes(): void {
+		register_rest_route(
+			$this->namespace,
+			'/' . $this->rest_base,
+			array(
+				array(
+					'methods'             => WP_REST_Server::READABLE,
+					'callback'            => array( $this, 'get_items' ),
+					'permission_callback' => array( $this, 'get_items_permissions_check' ),
+					'args'                => $this->get_collection_params(),
+				),
+				'schema' => array( $this, 'get_public_item_schema' ),
+			)
+		);
+
+		register_rest_route(
+			$this->namespace,
+			'/' . $this->rest_base . '/(?P<slug>[a-z0-9]+(?:-[a-z0-9]+)*)',
+			array(
+				'args'   => array(
+					'slug' => array(
+						'description' => __( 'Unique identifier for the ability category.' ),
+						'type'        => 'string',
+						'pattern'     => '^[a-z0-9]+(?:-[a-z0-9]+)*$',
+					),
+				),
+				array(
+					'methods'             => WP_REST_Server::READABLE,
+					'callback'            => array( $this, 'get_item' ),
+					'permission_callback' => array( $this, 'get_item_permissions_check' ),
+				),
+				'schema' => array( $this, 'get_public_item_schema' ),
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Retrieves all ability categories.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @param WP_REST_Request $request Full details about the request.
+	 * @return WP_REST_Response Response object on success.
+	 */
+	public function get_items( $request ) {
+		$categories = wp_get_ability_categories();
+
+		$page     = $request['page'];
+		$per_page = $request['per_page'];
+		$offset   = ( $page - 1 ) * $per_page;
+
+		$total_categories = count( $categories );
+		$max_pages        = ceil( $total_categories / $per_page );
+
+		if ( $request->get_method() === 'HEAD' ) {
+			$response = new WP_REST_Response( array() );
+		} else {
+			$categories = array_slice( $categories, $offset, $per_page );
+
+			$data = array();
+			foreach ( $categories as $category ) {
+				$item   = $this->prepare_item_for_response( $category, $request );
+				$data[] = $this->prepare_response_for_collection( $item );
+			}
+
+			$response = rest_ensure_response( $data );
+		}
+
+		$response->header( 'X-WP-Total', (string) $total_categories );
+		$response->header( 'X-WP-TotalPages', (string) $max_pages );
+
+		$query_params = $request->get_query_params();
+		$base         = add_query_arg(
+			urlencode_deep( $query_params ),
+			rest_url( sprintf( '%s/%s', $this->namespace, $this->rest_base ) )
+		);
+
+		if ( $page > 1 ) {
+			$prev_page = $page - 1;
+			$prev_link = add_query_arg( 'page', $prev_page, $base );
+			$response->link_header( 'prev', $prev_link );
+		}
+
+		if ( $page < $max_pages ) {
+			$next_page = $page + 1;
+			$next_link = add_query_arg( 'page', $next_page, $base );
+			$response->link_header( 'next', $next_link );
+		}
+
+		return $response;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Retrieves a specific ability category.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @param WP_REST_Request $request Full details about the request.
+	 * @return WP_REST_Response|WP_Error Response object on success, or WP_Error object on failure.
+	 */
+	public function get_item( $request ) {
+		$category = wp_get_ability_category( $request['slug'] );
+		if ( ! $category ) {
+			return new WP_Error(
+				'rest_ability_category_not_found',
+				__( 'Ability category not found.' ),
+				array( 'status' => 404 )
+			);
+		}
+
+		$data = $this->prepare_item_for_response( $category, $request );
+		return rest_ensure_response( $data );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Checks if a given request has access to read ability categories.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @param WP_REST_Request $request Full details about the request.
+	 * @return bool True if the request has read access.
+	 */
+	public function get_items_permissions_check( $request ) {
+		return current_user_can( 'read' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Checks if a given request has access to read an ability category.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @param WP_REST_Request $request Full details about the request.
+	 * @return bool True if the request has read access.
+	 */
+	public function get_item_permissions_check( $request ) {
+		return current_user_can( 'read' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Prepares an ability category for response.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @param WP_Ability_Category $category The ability category object.
+	 * @param WP_REST_Request     $request Request object.
+	 * @return WP_REST_Response Response object.
+	 */
+	public function prepare_item_for_response( $category, $request ) {
+		$data = array(
+			'slug'        => $category->get_slug(),
+			'label'       => $category->get_label(),
+			'description' => $category->get_description(),
+			'meta'        => $category->get_meta(),
+		);
+
+		$context = $request['context'] ?? 'view';
+		$data    = $this->add_additional_fields_to_object( $data, $request );
+		$data    = $this->filter_response_by_context( $data, $context );
+
+		$response = rest_ensure_response( $data );
+
+		$fields = $this->get_fields_for_response( $request );
+		if ( rest_is_field_included( '_links', $fields ) || rest_is_field_included( '_embedded', $fields ) ) {
+			$links = array(
+				'self'       => array(
+					'href' => rest_url( sprintf( '%s/%s/%s', $this->namespace, $this->rest_base, $category->get_slug() ) ),
+				),
+				'collection' => array(
+					'href' => rest_url( sprintf( '%s/%s', $this->namespace, $this->rest_base ) ),
+				),
+				'abilities'  => array(
+					'href' => rest_url( sprintf( '%s/abilities?category=%s', $this->namespace, $category->get_slug() ) ),
+				),
+			);
+
+			$response->add_links( $links );
+		}
+
+		return $response;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Retrieves the ability category's schema, conforming to JSON Schema.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @return array<string, mixed> Item schema data.
+	 */
+	public function get_item_schema(): array {
+		$schema = array(
+			'$schema'    => 'http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#',
+			'title'      => 'ability-category',
+			'type'       => 'object',
+			'properties' => array(
+				'slug'        => array(
+					'description' => __( 'Unique identifier for the ability category.' ),
+					'type'        => 'string',
+					'context'     => array( 'view', 'edit', 'embed' ),
+					'readonly'    => true,
+				),
+				'label'       => array(
+					'description' => __( 'Display label for the category.' ),
+					'type'        => 'string',
+					'context'     => array( 'view', 'edit', 'embed' ),
+					'readonly'    => true,
+				),
+				'description' => array(
+					'description' => __( 'Description of the category.' ),
+					'type'        => 'string',
+					'context'     => array( 'view', 'edit' ),
+					'readonly'    => true,
+				),
+				'meta'        => array(
+					'description' => __( 'Meta information about the category.' ),
+					'type'        => 'object',
+					'context'     => array( 'view', 'edit' ),
+					'readonly'    => true,
+				),
+			),
+		);
+
+		return $this->add_additional_fields_schema( $schema );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Retrieves the query params for collections.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @return array<string, mixed> Collection parameters.
+	 */
+	public function get_collection_params(): array {
+		return array(
+			'context'  => $this->get_context_param( array( 'default' => 'view' ) ),
+			'page'     => array(
+				'description' => __( 'Current page of the collection.' ),
+				'type'        => 'integer',
+				'default'     => 1,
+				'minimum'     => 1,
+			),
+			'per_page' => array(
+				'description' => __( 'Maximum number of items to be returned in result set.' ),
+				'type'        => 'integer',
+				'default'     => 50,
+				'minimum'     => 1,
+				'maximum'     => 100,
+			),
+		);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 073e160a0e..fd7d602085 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '6.9-beta1-61044';
+$wp_version = '6.9-beta1-61045';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.
diff --git a/wp-settings.php b/wp-settings.php
index b404ea5c14..256a0f6791 100644
--- a/wp-settings.php
+++ b/wp-settings.php
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-navigation-fallback
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-font-families-controller.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-font-faces-controller.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-font-collections-controller.php';
+require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-abilities-v1-categories-controller.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-abilities-v1-list-controller.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-abilities-v1-run-controller.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rest-api/fields/class-wp-rest-meta-fields.php';