Famous People With Disabilities

Today, I’m sharing a list of famous people with disabilities.  There is a common misconception that associates a disability with failure, break-downs, or despair.  Some people prefer death over a disabled existence.  If you are in sound health, there is a high chance that you may think around the same lines.  Unfortunately, this sort of thinking has not only created a feeling of difference towards disability, but also the disabled.

 

famous people with disabilities

Various observations reveal that persons with disabilities actually lead a happy and satisfactory life.  For people born with a disability, they have no way to compare their current condition. When someone is born with blindness, he does not have any sense of vision for which to crave.

To most disabled people, the disability is not a grave issue.  Once they cope with the initial shock, they learn to adapt.  They change their attitude, and achieve a lot more than people expect from them.  Many with disabilities believe that success lies in a positive attitude.  Furthermore instead of feeling depressed and disappointed they believe in happiness.  It is safe to say that with a cheerful approach, disability does not remain a drawback.  Disabilities have been proven to be a catalyzing force for higher achievements.

 

Here are famous people with disabilities:

 

Helen Keller:

Hellen Keller, one of the most famous disabled persons, was from Alabama.  She was an author, lecturer, and political activist.  Also, she was the first-ever deaf and blind person to earn a B.A. degree. Her struggle and the role of her teacher, Anne Sullivan became famous through Keller’s autobiography, “The Story of My Life.” She is the author of 12 books, which also includes her spiritual autobiography, “My Religion.” Additionally, Keller was outspoken and firm on her convictions.  She was also a member of the Socialist Party in America and supported labor rights, women’s suffrage, etc.

 

Stephen Hawking:

Stephen Hawking was an astrophysicist, cosmologist, and theoretical physicist. Doctors diagnosed him with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at the age of 21. He was only expected to live for two years after his diagnosis.  However, he went on to outlive his doctors.  He lived to be 76, although he suffered from paralysis of his whole body for over 30 years.  Hawking used a voice synthesizer for communication and a folding mobility scooter for movement.  Nevertheless, these impairments could not restrict the genius of this world-famous researcher.  This professor revealed many secrets of the universe and existence. The name of his most famed book is “The Theory of Everything.”

 

famous people with disabilities

 

Frida Kahlo:

Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist, is one of the most famous disabled artists of the 20th century.  She suffered from Polio in her childhood. She was seriously injured in her teens, which forced her into bed rest for a long time. Her broken back never healed 100 percent. While fighting her disability, she became famous for her self-portraits.  Some portrayed her in a wheelchair. Frida remains as a symbol of the artistic spirit of survival.

 

Ralph Braun:

Next, Ralph Braun was the founder of Braun Corporation. He wanted to bring the freedom of mobility to persons with disabilities. His organization was one of the leading producers of wheelchair accessible vehicles.  President Barack Obama termed the corporation “a champion of change.” Braun was born with muscular dystrophy. In 1966, he made the first wheelchair accessible van with hand controls. In 1991, his company built the first accessible minivan.

 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

Roosevelt was the president of the United States who guided the nation through World War II.  Furthermore, Roosevelt served his entire tenure in a wheelchair.  He lived his life with courage, and was a great president.  His paralysis was the result of Polio. Although disabled, Roosevelt never let anyone doubt his competence.  He proved that having a disability is never a drawback to being a beloved leader.

 

Nick Vujicic:

Nick Vujicic is a world-famous motivational speaker who speaks on the importance of courage for overcoming extremely adverse situations. He is the founder of an organization for people with disabilities, which is called “Life Without Limbs.” It is a non-profit organization as well as an Evangelistic ministry. The organization seeks to spread the message of hope and love through the words of Jesus Christ. Nick, who was born without legs or arms, faced endless challenges in his life, and his present-day celebrity status is proof of the fact that disability is not a significant barrier before human will.

 

 

famous people with disabilities

 

 

Andrea Boccelli:

So, Andrea Boccelli was an Italian musician, tenor, musical producer, and writer.  His notable achievements include selling more than 75 million records!  Also, he came into the world with congenital glaucoma, which made him partially blind. But, his blindness could not restrict him from taking music and piano lessons at the age of six. In his early teenage years, he received a severe blow during a football match that made him completely blind. However, his indomitable spirit and continuous striving for improvement led his focus towards music and singing.  He also studied law, and went on to win many awards of international repute.

 

Finally, these great figures, through their stories of resilience, prove that having a disability is not an impediment in achieving greatness. With their perseverance, big heart, and sympathy for others, they overcame their immediate circumstances.  These great souls climbed the heights of their obstacles to show the rest of us that human determination and will power can win any battle.

 

 

Reference articles:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/famous-people-with-disabilities_n_4142930

https://www.sunrisemedical.co.uk/blog/famous-people-with-disabilities

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