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Keith Armstrong was a legendary disability rights campaigner, artist, writer, and musician. A collection of his creations, including photographs from demonstrations, is held in Shape’s National Disability Movement Archive and Collection (NDMAC). 

Armstrong (and his camera) attended most of the major disability rights demonstrations in the 1980s and 1990s, including the Block Telethon Protest and actions organised by the Campaign for Accessible Transport (CAT) and the Direct Action Network (DAN). His documentation of these marches and protests, along with those in support of other marginalised groups, leave a unique and powerful legacy. 

In 2026, a digitised archive of Armstrong’s photographs will be made accessible online. In showcasing the contributions he made to the fight for disability rights, we note the similarities between today’s ongoing battle for equality and the struggles to which Armstrong dedicated much of his life. Perhaps his legacy, as well as marking important cultural history, can provide direction to today’s activists, now and in the future.

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