Ian Stanton was described in his obituary in The Guardian as the disabled people's movement's "premier singer-songwriter and best-loved activist. His ironic lyrics encapsulated the humour as well as the anger underlying the civil rights struggle of disabled people, and his songs enlivened the public demonstrations... in town centres across England." He performed his music across the UK and internationally, as well as being an actor on stage and national TV. He worked at the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People as the editor of the Coalition magazine.
Early years and family
Ian Stanton was born in Oldham in October 1950, and educated at the localgrammar school. His first jobs were as a printer, which he worked at until developing Berger’s Disease in the 1970s, which led to the amputation of both his legs. After his time recovering in hospital he went to QEF, Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for the Disabled, a rehabilitation college in Surrey, where he reportedly became the first disabled person to be expelled, which was for producing a newsletter, The Tuppenny Terrible, that was highly critical of the college. On 14 February 1994 at Oldham Register Office he married Audrey Savage, a co-worker at the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People. He had one step-son.
Work
After leaving the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation college and returning to live in Oldham, his interest in writing continued when he went to New Vale House, a day centre where he established a newsletter in 1984 which again was highly critical of the organisation. He was employed by the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People in 1986 to be their first Information Worker, and he soon established its journal or magazine - Coalition - which gained a national reputation for the quality of its coverage of disabled people's politics. He also produced a regular Information Sheet with details of local events and contacts. The Coalition magazine was recognised in university-level textbooks and papers as being a key source of knowledge for disability studies. He retired for health reasons in the mid-1990s and continued to edit the Coalition as a volunteer member until his death on 26 November 1998.
Music
His musical career started following a course he attended at the Northern College taught by Richard Stilgoe. He began singing on stage at clubs around Oldham and Ashton, notably live music pub, and subsequently went on to perform in day centres, disability arts cabarets, rallies and at mainstream events. Below are lists of his three albums and his major gigs, notably including Glastonbury Festival, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, and Cambridge Folk Festival. He toured the USA with and Wanda Barbara. He was a leading player at the Block Telethon demo in 1992, where the highlight of his set was singing Message from Telethon . The words had been written by , a leading member of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, who had died in the spring before the protest.
Archive
His family have placed 304 of his papers and artefacts, the Ian Stanton Collection, in the GMCDP Archive in the Central Library, Manchester, which is exists in partnership with .
Discography
Ian Stanton, Shrinkin’ Man tape cassette, 1989, self-released
