[1][2] On 14 February 1994, he married Audrey Savage, a co-worker at the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, at Oldham Register Office.
After leaving the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation college and returning to live in Oldham, he went to New Vale House, a day centre where he established a newsletter in 1984, which was highly critical of the organization.
The Coalition magazine was recognized in university-level textbooks and papers as a key source of knowledge for disability studies.
[3] After following a course taught by Richard Stilgoe at the Northern College, Stanton began singing at clubs around Oldham and Ashton, notably the Witchwood Live Music Pub, and subsequently went on to perform in day centres, disability arts cabarets, rallies and at mainstream events.
[11][2] His family have placed 304 of his papers and artefacts, the Ian Stanton Collection, in the GMCDP Archive in the Central Library, Manchester, which exists in partnership with Archives+.