The incapacity neighborhood is various and filled with expertise, mind, creativity, and innovation. All through historical past, disabled people have earned fame for improvements and innovations that not solely profit the incapacity neighborhood but additionally drive change and enhance the lives of all people. Under are simply among the many well-known individuals with disabilities who’ve made important contributions to society.
Well-known Individuals With Disabilities
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist recognized for her vivid and vivid self-portraits. She contracted polio on the age of 6 and was additionally in a automotive accident at 18. Lots of her self-portraits depict her expertise residing with bodily disabilities. (1907–1954)
Laura Bridgman
Laura Bridgman was the primary deafblind lady to be formally educated in the US. She misplaced her sight and listening to on account of scarlet fever, which she contracted on the age of two. Laura attended Perkins Faculty for the Blind, the place beneath the course of Dr. Samuel Howe, she discovered to learn and write using particular tactile paper. (1829–1889)
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin is a deaf actress, writer, and activist. She misplaced most of her listening to at 18 months outdated. In 1986, she grew to become the primary deaf actress to win an Academy Award for her efficiency in Youngsters of a Lesser God. She has since been monumental in paving the way in which for extra roles in Hollywood for deaf people. (b. 1965)
Hunter Woodhall
Hunter Woodhall is an American track-and-field athlete and Paralympian. He was additionally born with fibular hemimelia and underwent a double leg amputation at 11 months outdated. He gained the gold medal within the Males’s 400 Meter T62 division on the 2024 Summer time Paralympic Video games. (b. 1999)
Eddie Ndopu
Ndopu is a South African incapacity activist, humanitarian, and writer residing with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). He was additionally the primary African disabled pupil to be accepted to Oxford College, the place he graduated with a grasp’s in public coverage. Ndopu is a world advocate appointed by the Secretary Basic of the United Nations for the Sustainable Growth Objectives (SDG). (b. 1990)
Rick Hoyt
Rick Hoyt was a triathlete, marathoner, and Ironman. Born with cerebral palsy, Rick participated in his first wheelchair duo race, pushed by his father, Dick, in 1977. The duo accomplished over 1,000 marathons, duathlons, and triathlons, together with 32 Boston Marathons. They have been additionally the primary wheelchair duo to finish the Hawaii Ironman. A statue in honor of Rick and Dick Hoyt was inbuilt 2013 close to the beginning line of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. (1962–2023)
Ralph Braun
Ralph Braun is named the “Father of the Mobility.” Ralph was identified with muscular dystrophy in childhood. His want for independence spurred him to develop the primary battery-powered scooter and the world’s first wheelchair carry. He later based BraunAbility, which continues to be the main producer of mobility merchandise worldwide. (1940–2013)
Alice Wong
Alice Wong is a disabled activist, writer, and neighborhood organizer. Wong was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). She is the founding father of Disability Visibility Project, which seeks to amplify tales of people with disabilities by means of oral and written narrative. Her accolades embrace receiving the 2016 American Affiliation of Individuals With Disabilities Paul G. Hearne Management Award and inclusion within the BBC’s High 100 Ladies in 2020. (b. 1974)
Edward V. Roberts
Ed Roberts is taken into account the daddy of the unbiased residing motion for people with disabilities. Ed contracted polio at age 14, which resulted in him being paralyzed from the neck down and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. He grew to become the primary pupil with a major incapacity and wheelchair consumer to attend UC Berkeley. Together with different incapacity activists, he helped to ascertain the Berkeley Middle for Unbiased Dwelling. In 1983, together with incapacity rights activist Judy Heumann, he co-founded the World Institute on Disability (WID), which works to unfold the unbiased residing motion worldwide. (1939–1995)
Simone Biles
Simone Biles is a creative gymnast for the US. She was identified with ADHD as a baby. She has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, making her essentially the most embellished feminine gymnast on the planet. She has additionally develop into an outspoken advocate concerning psychological well being, following her withdrawal from the 2020 Summer time Olympic Video games after growing the “twisties.” (b. 1997)
Judy Heumann
Judy Heumann was a incapacity activist and writer, continuously often known as the “mom” of the Incapacity Rights Motion. She contracted polio at 18 months outdated and have become a wheelchair consumer thereafter. She grew to become the primary wheelchair consumer to be a trainer within the state of New York, following a lawsuit after she was denied a instructing license as a result of she failed the medical examination because of her incapacity to stroll. In 1977, Judy led the 504 Sit-In in San Francisco, a 26-day protest that led to the institution of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Judy went on to serve in each the Clinton and Obama administrations, together with being appointed by President Obama as the primary Particular Advisor for Worldwide Incapacity Rights on the U.S. Division of State. (1947–2023)
Senator Tammy Duckworth
Tammy Duckworth is an Military veteran and American politician. Whereas serving as a U.S. Military helicopter pilot throughout the Iraq Conflict, her helicopter was hit by a grenade, leading to her turning into the primary feminine double amputee throughout the struggle. She then entered politics, the place she served for 2 phrases on Illinois’ Eighth Congressional District within the U.S. Home of Representatives earlier than being elected in 2016 to the U.S. Senate. (b. 1968)
Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve was a Hollywood actor and director, most famously recognized for his function as Clark Kent/Superman in Superman. He acquired a British Academy Movie Award, an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Display screen Actors Guild Award. In 1995, Christopher sustained a spinal wire damage whereas driving his horse, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. Following his accident, Reeve grew to become an advocate for incapacity and spinal wire damage, founding his personal basis, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. (1952–2004)
Judi Chamberlin
Judi Chamberlin was a incapacity activist and writer. She lived with despair and schizophrenia. Because of her experiences in psychiatric wards, she grew to become an advocate for humane psychological well being look after psychiatric survivors. Her e book, On Our Personal: Affected person-Managed Options to the Psychological Well being System, was revealed in 1978 and has develop into a number one textual content within the Mad Pleasure Motion. She additionally based the National Empowerment Center to empower individuals with lived expertise with psychological well being challenges and trauma. (1944–2010)
Lenin Moreno
Lenin Moreno is an Ecuadorian politician and incapacity advocate. Moreno is a wheelchair consumer because of shedding his capability to stroll on account of gun violence. He was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for his incapacity advocacy and served because the forty sixth president of Ecuador from 2017 to 2021. (b. 1953)
Farida Bedwei
Farida Bedwei is a Ghanian software program engineer who lives with cerebral palsy. She is the co-founder of Logiciel, a expertise firm in Ghana. In 2013, Bedwei was named essentially the most influential lady in enterprise and authorities in Africa for the monetary sector by South Africa’s CEO journal. She can be an writer and incapacity rights activist. (b. 1979)
Haben Girma
Haben Girma is a lawyer, incapacity advocate, and writer. In 2013, she grew to become the primary Deafblind particular person to graduate from Harvard Legislation Faculty. In 2016, Girma was included on the Forbes 30 Beneath 30 listing for Legislation and Coverage. In 2019, she launched her memoir, and he or she presently serves as a public speaker and guide. (b. 1988)
Kyle Maynard
Kyle Maynard is an entrepreneur, athlete, writer, and speaker. He was born with congenital amputation, a situation that leads to a person having no arms beneath the elbows and no legs beneath the knees. He discovered to reside independently early on with out prosthetics. He grew to become the primary quadruple amputee to summit Mount Kilimanjaro with out prosthetics. Maynard acquired an ESPN Espy Award for Greatest Athlete With a Incapacity in 2004. He penned a memoir known as “No Excuses” and is founding father of a No Excuses CrossFit gymnasium in Georgia. (b. 1986)
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is a former American aggressive swimmer. He lives with ADHD, despair, and anxiousness. He’s essentially the most embellished Olympian of all time, with 28 Olympic medals. Moreover, he has set 39 world data, together with 29 particular person and 10 relay data. He additionally holds 20 Guinness World Data. Since retiring from aggressive swimming, Phelps has served as a fierce advocate for psychological well being assist for athletes. (b. 1985)
Lydia X.Z. Brown
Lydia X.Z. Brown is a author, incapacity advocate, public speaker, and legal professional. They establish as autistic and are the founder and chief of the Autistic Individuals of Shade Fund in partnership with the Autistic Ladies & Nonbinary Community. Brown serves because the director of public coverage on the Nationwide Incapacity Institute. In 2013, Brown was named a Champion of Change by the Obama administration for his or her management throughout the incapacity neighborhood and their dedication to the promise of the Individuals With Disabilities Act (ADA). (b. 1993)
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