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The new Design and Disability exhibition at the V&A is one of the most groundbreaking and important exhibitions to go on display in the UK in recent years. Described as both a “celebration” and a “call to action”, the exhibit showcases “the radical contributions of Disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent people and communities to design history and contemporary culture.”
Spanning architecture, technology, photography, fashion, illustration, and media, it presents a slice of the creative output of this community and the political and social history of disability, as told through design from 1940 to the present. Featuring 170 items, ranging from carnival costumes to protest t-shirts, tools, banners, jewellery and commercially made products, the items on display not only challenge preconceptions and prejudices but also affirm the importance of embedding disabled people in the design and creative process.
And, we’re incredibly proud to report that the exhibition also includes three GLAMOUR UK covers! In January 2023, we published our third annual Self-Love issue, featuring three game-changing innovators who are forging new paths for women within the disabled community. The three covers stars were: Ellie Darby-Prangnell, advocate and editor, Caprice-Kwai a model, blogger and jewellery designer and Shelby Lynch, a fashion and beauty influencer. Our Self-Love covers were considered so trailblazing in terms of disability representation that they merited inclusion in this historic exhibition.
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The exhibition's curator, Natalie Kane, said: ‘I discovered Glamour thanks to our advisory group, who in our discussions raised how important it was to show the impact these issues had had in putting this generation of changemakers centre stage. ’
Earlier this week, the V&A kindly hosted GLAMOUR as we reunited with Ellie, Caprice and Shelby, their Mums, carers and friends and fellow disabled advocates including The Triple Cripples for a private viewing of the exhibition. It was wonderful.
Here we catch up with our three former cover stars to hear what it means to be included in the exhibition, what has changed in their lives in the past two years, what challenges they still face and how they believe representation of their community has progressed.
Ellie Darby-Prangnell stars on GLAMOUR's third Self-Love issue.
Ellie Darby-Prangnell, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, is a 24-year-old Disability advocate and founder of Look Deeper, a zine for Disabled creatives, a copy of which is also on display in the exhibition.
Why do you think exhibitions like this are so important for the community?
I think it's finally putting our community and our work in the spotlight because we've always been here. We've always been doing cool and innovative things, but the mainstream has never taken notice of it. It's always just been our community that have known about it. So for a place such as the V&A to be spotlighting us and our work is just so cool…A lot of people don't think about disability until it affects them. So I think exhibitions like this opens it up to the public. I think it makes disability seem less scary and daunting. People are still very scared of disability because it's something they don't want to happen to them. And I think this is such a joyous exhibition and it's so full of creativity and life. I think it shows all the rich culture that surrounds being disabled. It's not terrifying and horrible as people think it is. I think it can do a lot to shape attitudes, really.
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Have you noticed any changes in how your community has evolved in the past two years?
I think visibility, particularly within the fashion industry, it has its ebbs and flows. I think sometimes you see a whole load of representation and then it all goes quiet. So I think there still needs to be a constant push for representation to be a constant thing. It's not a trend. We're people that are part of society. It needs to be reflected within the industry. So there's been some amazing things I've seen come out, but equally it's not enough as well. It needs to be consistent and people need to continue to show up for the disabled community as well. Not just do one campaign and leave it at that.
What are the biggest challenges facing the disabled community at the moment?
I think at the minute, with the political climate and the risks to disability benefit cuts (PIP) are terrifying for a lot of disabled people. I think it's very hard for a lot of people to comprehend what could even happen because it can be so detrimental to people's health, physical and mental.
What is it that brings you joy?
Interacting with my community. I just love it! Every time I bring out a new issue with my zine, Look Deeper, I'm filled with so much joy by the different connections I've made, by the people I've met and the friendships I've formed through that. But also, silly little things that bring me joy, like my dog, Maggie May, I love her!
Shelby Lynch stars on GLAMOUR's third Self-Love issue.
Shelby Lynch is a 27-year-old fashion and beauty influencer with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2. This condition causes muscle weakness as she gets older and affects her breathing, so she uses a ventilator 24/7. Having been interested in fashion since the age of 13, Shelby uses her online platform to make fashion more accessible and to encourage the fashion industry to be more inclusive and representative of Disabled people.
What have you been up to in the past two years since we last saw you? "I've been doing fashion shows, I've modelled at London Fashion Week a couple of times. My pictures have been published in high end fashion magazines, and I've been using social media to talk about disability and fashion."
What does it mean to you to have your GLAMOUR cover featured in an exhibition at the V&A?
"Exhibitions like this are so important. I don't feel like there's been anything like this for the disabled community. I feel really honoured to be a part of it."
"I feel like the disabled community are the biggest minority but also the least represented in all forms of media. It's really good to have disabled people out in society and it's amazing that we're represented in the V&A because it shows people that we are just people. We've got dreams, inspirations, and goals in life. And we're not just burdens, which a lot of people presume we are."
What's the biggest challenge facing your community?
"I think there's always challenges within the disabled community. I think a lot of the challenges come from society itself, so how people view me and the things that get said to me don't make me feel good about myself or my disability. But there's also a lot of political things going on right now with the government slashing benefits when disabled people are already struggling. To see people's PIP [personal independence payments] get cut... it's just very scary times."
What brings you joy?
"I just love spending time with my friends and my family. They're good, supportive people to have around to help with life in general, but also the added disabled stuff. I've been in a relationship for two years. [Shelby met her partner, who lives in Texas, on Twitter and they met for the first time in April this year]. “She's absolutely amazing and supportive when I go through anything.She's just really proud of me. She thinks what I do, educating people, is very important. She's like a cheerleader."
Caprice-Kwai stars on GLAMOUR's third Self-Love issue.
Caprice-Kwai Ambersley, 23, was diagnosed with osteoarthritis aged 10. Today she is an advocate, model and jewellery business owner of By Caprice-Kwai.
Why do you think exhibitions such as these are so important for your community?
God, I think representation is just everything. And I feel like it will just open up more conversations. And spark things. And I feel like for me, having an exhibition like this, when I first became disabled at 10 would've been huge. It would've made me feel just less alone. I couldn't do anything. I didn't see anything. No representation, no one that looked like me. No one using mobility aids. So just seeing an exhibition like this, I think it'll be, it's going to be great for next generation too. I feel like there's a lot of outdated narratives around disability. So an exhibition like this, I feel like it's just going to open conversations, it's kind of like a movement
In the past two years, since appearing on the GLAMOUR cover, what changes have you seen?
I feel like there's been a lot of changes within the disability community. People have been making their own changes to better the community, Primark's adaptive range that's just come out, for example. Just little things like that. I feel like there's been things that have been benefiting us.
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What are the biggest challenges in the community right now?
I can only talk about my personal experience. Especially with education. Yeah, education has been really tough for me as a disabled person. It just hasn't been the support that I need to continue my studies…I had just left uni before doing the GLAMOUR cover and I left because there just wasn't support in place for me to continue. There was no support from tutors. With education, I feel like there just needs to be more support for disabled people to access the course that they want to do.
And have you seen any of that change happening?
Well, before leaving I put in a formal complaint and I was able to get policies changed for amazing disabled students…I think it's one thing to include disabled people but also listen to us and just include us and listen to us
What brings you joy?
For me, designing my accessories for By Caprice-Kwai really brings me joy and all the colours. You can see the joy in there. And I think through that, just empowering other people brings me joy through my jewellery and also my family and my dog and my mom.
Design and Disability, 7June 2025 – 15 February 2026, The Porter Gallery, V&A South Kensington.
