GREAT & INSPIRING PERSONALITIES WITH DISABILITIES
The stories of the personalities below prove only one important fact...
it takes more than courage to face the adversities to win over and be victorious. If they could do it, so could YOU!
Helen Keller - Blind & Deaf
Profession: Lecturer & Activist
Keller was the first ever to earn a Bachelors in Art. She was also a political activist and a celebrated author in America. She was one of the leading hands in founding American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Stephan Hawkings - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Profession: English Theoretical Physicist
Despite being challenged by motor neuron disease, he is one of the most admired scientists in physics, with numerous books and publications under his belt. There is even a movie made about his life called "The Theory of Everything."
Albert Einstein - Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Profession: Theoretical Physicist
Developed the theory of relativity and is the most influential scientist of his- or any-generation.
*Please note although it is impossible to make a definite diagnosis for someone who is no longer living, Einstein's personality traits exhibited three key symptoms of Asperger's syndrome: obsessive interests, difficulty in social relationships, and problems communicating.
Christy Brown - Cerebral Palsy
Profession: Poet, Painter & Author
Brown was challenged with cerebral palsy. Until the age of 5, he wasn't able to respond on his own will. Only after that, his left foot was responsive as opposed to the whole body. He is a celebrity author for his autobiography 'My Left Foot.'
Vincent van Gough - Mental Illness
Profession: Painter
Vincent van Gough was one of the most admired and influential painters to have walked the face of the earth. He suffered depression and was hospitalized. His paintings remain as one of the marvelous crafts of all time.
Beethoven - Deaf
Profession: Composer
Beethoven began to lose his hearing when he was 26 years old. He turned out to be one of the biggest composers of all time. He was guided by Mozart and studied piano. He was famous for his brilliant and dubious improvisations. Beethoven was almost completely deaf by the time he was 44 years old.
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Steven Spielberg - Dyslexia
Profession: Legendary Film Director
Cher - Dyslexia
Profession: Academy Award-Winning Actor & Grammy-winning Singer
Tim Tebow - Dyslexia
Profession: Former NFL Quarterback
Anderson Cooper- Dyslexia
Profession: CNN News Anchor
Jamie Oliver - Dyslexia
Profession: Celebrity Chief
Other Health Impaired - ADHD
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Walt Disney - Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD)
Profession: Founder of Disney land
One of the Greatest Entrepreneurs of All Time.
Michael Phelps- ADHD
Profession: Swimmer, who holds the record for winning the most Olympic metals
Justin Timberlake - ADHD
Profession: Singer-songwriter, Actor & entrepreneur
Michael Jordan - ADHD
Profession: NBA Basketball Star and Entrepreneur.
One of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Dr. Temple Grandin - Autism
Profession: Professor of Animal Science & Influential Autism Spokesperson
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Tourette's & Asperger's
Profession: One of the Greatest Composers the World has Ever Known
Dan Aykroyd - Tourette's & Asperger's
Profession: Actor, Comedian & Musician
Satoshi Tajiri - Asperger's Syndrome
Profession: Pokémon Inventor & Media Franchise Extron Aire
Dr. Vernon Smith - Asperger's Syndrome
Profession: Nobel Prize-winning Professional of Economics
Clay Marzo - Asperger's Syndrome
One of the most influential innovative stars in the world of championship surfing
Isaac Newton - Asperger's Syndrome
Profession: English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author who is widely recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the scientific revolution.
*According to some researchers, Isaac Newton's brilliant work, obsessive tendencies, and lack of social grace may be signs of Asperger's syndrome
Emotional Disturbances
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Demi Lovato - Bi-polar Disorder & Depression
Profession: Public figure, performer & Singer
Jim Carey - Depression
Profession: Canadian- American Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter and Producer.
Lena Dunham - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety & Depression
Profession: Actor, writer, producer, and director best known for her creation on the HBO series Girls.
Steve Young - Social Anxiety Disorder
Profession: NFL- hall of famer & BYU Graduate
Donny Osmond - Social Anxiety Disorder
Profession: Performer, Musician & Singer
Oprah Winfrey - PTSD & Anxiety
Profession; Media Icon, Television Personality, Actor, Producer and Philanthropists
Herschel Walker - Dissociative Identity Disorder
Profession: Three time All-American Honors Athlete, Former Professional Football Player, Sprinter, Mixed Martial Artist, and Olympic Bobsledder
John Nash - Schizophrenia
Profession: Renowned American Mathematician
Speech or Language Impairment
Visually Impaired, Including Blindness
Visually Impaired, Including Blindness
Marylin Manroe - Stutter
Profession : Actor
Jimmy Stewart: Stutter
Profession: Actor
Sam Niell - Stutter
Profession: Actor
James Earl Jones - Stutter
Profession: Actor
Winston Churchill- Stutter
Profession: Former British Politician, Military Officer and Writer who Served as the Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Joe Biden- Stutter
Profession: Former Vice-president and Presidential Candidate
Visually Impaired, Including Blindness
Visually Impaired, Including Blindness
Visually Impaired, Including Blindness
Stevie Wonder- Blind
Profession: Musician & Singer
Ray Charles - Blind
Profession: Singer-songwriter
Andrea Bocelli - Visual Impairment
Profession: Italian Tenor, Singer and Creator of 9 Complete Operas
Born with poor vision and completely lost his sight after a football accident when he was 12 years old. He is a highly successful cross-over performer with several albums of both classical and pop music to his record, and is credited to have brought classical music to the top of international pop charts.
Marla Runyan - Visual Impairment
Profession: Professional runner
Developed Stargate's Disease at the age of 9, which left her blind for life. She emerged as a national champion 3 times in women's 5000-meters race
Deafness
Hearing Impairment
Hearing Impairment
Marlee Matlin - Deaf
Profession: Actor & Academy Award-winner
Curtis Pride - Deaf
Profession: MLB player
He was born deaf and worked as the head baseball coach at Gallaudet University.
Shoshannah Stern - Deaf
Profession: Actor on the series "WEEDS."
Linda Bove - Deaf
Profession: Actor
"Sesame Street" actress Linda Bove introduced children to sign language in her role as Linda the Librarian.
Hearing Impairment
Hearing Impairment
Hearing Impairment
Halle Berry - Hearing Impaired
Profession: Academy Award-winning Actor
In 2004,Halle suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as a concussion, which resulted in her losing 80% of the hearing in her right ear.
Whoopi Goldberg - Hearing Impaired
Profession: award-winning comedian and actor
According to the National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), as many as 40 million Americans suffer from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Goldberg, who wears hearing aids, said her hearing loss is the result of “years and years of listening to music so loudly and so close to the eardrum.”
Deaf-blindness
Orthopedic Impairment
Orthopedic Impairment
Helen Keller (1880-1968)
Author, activist and lecturer
Victorine Morriseau (1789-1832)
First deaf-blind person to be educated in Paris
Hieronymus Lorm (19th century) Inventor and novelist
Sanzan Tani (1802-1867)
Japanese teacher who became deaf in childhood and blind later in life, communicating with students by touch.
Laura Bridgman (1829-1889)
First deaf-blind child to be successfully educated in the US
Yvonne Pitrois (1880-1937)
French biographer
Alice Betteridge (1901-1966)
First deaf-blind Australian to be educated. Teacher, traveler, writer.
Jack Clemo (1916-1994)
British poet who became deaf-blind as an adult
Robert Smithdas (1925- )
The first deaf-blind person in the US to receive a master's degree.
Orthopedic Impairment
Orthopedic Impairment
Orthopedic Impairment
Frida Kahlo - Polio
Profession - Painter
One of the most celebrated painters in all of Mexico.
Sudha Chandran - Amputation
Profession - Dancer
One of the most acclaimed and influential classical dancers in India.
John Hockenberry - Spinal Cord Injury
Profession: Journalist, Author, 4 times Emmy Award Winner
Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability
Chris Nikic - Down Syndrome
He became the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon. The 21-year-old from Maitland, Florida earned himself a Guinness World Record for finishing the race, and his milestone was considered a "historic achievement" by the Special Olympics.
Nikic swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles in 16 hours, 46 minutes and nine seconds during Ironman Florida in Panama City Beach on Saturday and finished 14 minutes before the official cut-off time. Nikic competed along with his guide, Dan Grieb.
Madeline Stuart - Down Syndrome
Profession: Model, Actor & Advocate
She is a worldwide phenomenon. She is a powerful advocate for inclusiveness and diversity in modelling. At just 21 years of age she is already a household name around the world, with over 850,000 social media fans following her successful campaign to become the first professional model with Down syndrome.
Traumatic Brian Injury
Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability
Tracy Jamel Morgan -TBI
Profession: Actor and Comedian.
Motor vehicle accidents like Morgan’s are one of the most common causes of TBIs, and can be severe due to the high velocity impacts involved. TBIs can range anywhere from a mild concussion to catastrophic, fatal damage.
Gabrielle Giffords - TBI
Profession: Former Senator
Intensive rehabilitation can help, who despite a devastating gunshot head wound has slowly recovered some speech and the ability to walk.
Bob Woodruff - TBI
Profession : ABC News Journalist Made remarkable gains despite a horrific TBI where he lost a large segment of his skull and brain and was comatose for 36 days.
Multiple Disabilities
Tony DeBlois - Autism & Blind
Profession: Musician
Mastered more that 20 instruments and can play as many as 8,000 pieces of music from memory alone.
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