A new digital archive documenting the history of disability rights campaigning in the UK has been launched this week.
The National Disability Movement Archive and Collection (NDMAC), brings together photographs, oral histories, protest material and personal accounts from the disability rights movement from the 1970s onwards.
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the archive includes material linked to the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), alongside campaigns on austerity, welfare reform and access.
The archive, which was founded by David Hevey, CEO of Shape Arts, features protest photography, interviews and campaign documents. Among these is the work of activist Keith Armstrong, who documented actions by groups including the Campaign For Accessible Transport and the Direct Action Network, where wheelchair users blocked buses in protests.
Photography by Keith Armstrong
In 2017, members of Armstrong’s estate contacted Hevey, who said he did not fully understand the significance of the activist’s work until after his death.
In a blog, titled Discovering Keith Armstrong: the archive that captured a movement, David shared how he was moved by Armstrong’s work. ‘I knew of Keith because I was involved in the disability rights movement myself,’ Hevey said. ‘I knew he was an artist and an activist, but I didn’t really understand what we had from his street photography.’
One the collection’s most striking objects is Keith Armstrong’s funeral shroud, covered with badges representing the many causes he supported throughout his life. For David, the shroud reflects an era when activists often worked across multiple causes, seeing each struggle as connected to the others.
Alongside disability rights, Armstrong was also involved in anti-apartheid campaigns, housing struggles and other social justice causes.
Photography by Keith Armstrong
NDMAC said the archive presents disability rights history as one of political struggle and collective action, challenging ‘outdated narratives’ of disabled people as passive recipients of care.
Stuart McLeod, director of England – London & South at National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: ‘Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re proud to support NDMAC with this important project that brings to light the powerful and often overlooked stories of disabled people who have fought tirelessly for equality in the UK.’
McLeod added: ‘This archive not only preserves a vital part of our shared heritage but also ensures that the voices, experiences and achievements of the disability rights movement can inspire future generations.’
The full online archive can be viewed here.
Images: Keith Armstrong/Shape Arts
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