taken from another mailing list
The world's famous disabled people
www.swardeep.org
The world's famous disabled people! And through this list I want to
spread this message to all people that god with us don't worry.
Albert Einstein
The Mathematician/Physicist who had a learning disability and did not
speak until age 3. He had a very difficult time doing maths in school.
It was also very hard for him to express himself through writing.
Christopher Reeve
Never has a person with a disability commanded so much media attention
in recent history. Christopher Reeve, crippled after a horse-riding
injury, wants to be up on his feet & wants to help others stand
confident too. His life is now dedicated to harnessing the power of
medical research to get up & ride again.
David Blunkett
The Rt Hon David Blunkett MP is without doubt Britain's most famous
guide dog owner. Often photographed with his guide dogs - Ted, Offa
and Lucy - David Blunkett also holds the powerful political post of
Home Secretary. Joining the Labour party aged 16, he was elected to
Sheffield City Council aged 22. He was the council leader from 1980 to
1987 until he was elected MP for Sheffield Brightside. Seen as the
archetypal municipal Socialist, he is in many senses a traditional
Labour man - beard-wearing and blunt-talking. Arguably, he is a role
model for disabled people who just want to get on with their lives.
Edison
Edison had a learning disability. He couldn't read until he was twelve
years old and had a very difficult time writing even when he was older.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Roosevelt had Polio, was governor of New York State then elected
President of the United States for 4 terms.
George Washington
Had a learning disability. He could barely write and had very poor
grammar skills.
Goya
Spanish painter (1746-1828): At age 46, an illness left him deaf. He
went on to create the most famous Spanish art of the 19th century.
Helen Keller
(Devoted Life to Persons with Disabilities) She was Blind, Deaf, and Mute
Ian Dury
movement/walking disability, resulting from polio. Hits from 1978
("Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick") into 1980's. Recorded "Spasticus
Autisticus" which was banned from radio, not surprising, as lyrics
could be mis-construed as disabled-ist
Alexander Graham Bell
Had a learning disability
John Milton
English Author/poet (1608-1674): He became blind at age 43. He went on
to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
Lord Byron
"Mad, bad and dangerous to know", Britain's great romantic was also
born with talipes, a club foot. It is said that he "walked with
difficulty but wandered at will". He toured Europe extensively and
captured the popular imagination through his poetry and his
personality. From gloomy egoism through to satiric realism he was
renowned for his writings, his sexual ambivalences and his championing
of Greek independence from the Turks. Disability activist Tom
Shakespeare summed him up in the following way: "Most of his poetry
hasn't stood the test of time, but he was a blockbuster in his day,
and like very few other heroes, his name is still used as an adjective
- 'Byronic', meaning dashing."
Lord Nelson
Viscount Horatio Nelson is certainly Britain's greatest naval hero.
His skill as a naval commander is, of course, well-documented. He won
crucial victories at Trafalgar in 1805 and the Battle of the Nile in
1798, during the wars with revolutionary and Napoleonic France. What
is less often remarked upon is that a great part of his naval career
and his major victories were won as a disabled person. Going ashore in
Corsica following the fall of Toulon, a French shot flung debris into
his face leaving him without sight in his right eye. Later, an assault
on Tenerife resulted in a shattered right elbow - back on his flagship
the arm was amputated. He carried on as a disabled seaman for nearly
ten years, securing his most important naval victories at the Battle
of the Nile and the infamous Battle of Trafalgar - where he died on
October 21, 1805. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't say "I see no
ships". Instead he said, during the Battle of Copenhagen, "... I have
only one eye. I have a right to be blind sometimes" and, raising his
telescope to his blind eye, "I really do not see the signal".
Marla Runyan
One of the women representing the Unites States in the 1500 metre
track event at hte 2000 Olympics was Marla Runyan. The American runner
finished seventh in her preliminary heat and rose to sixth in the semi
finals to qualify for the finals. During the final race, Marla lost
track of the major competitors. She finished in eighth position, 3.20
seconds behind the gold medal winner. In 1996, Marla set several track
and field records at the Paralympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Following
that success, Marla wanted to compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney
-- even though she is legally blind. The 31-year-old runner has been
diagnosed with Stargardt disease. This is a condition that leaves her
with a limited ability to see what is in front of her. In Sydney,
Marla became the first legally blind athlete to compete in an Olympics.
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin is a stand-up comedian and an actress. Some of her films
include A Dead Silence, My Party,A Hear No Evil, A Bridge to Silence,
A Walker, and A Children of A Lesser God. In 1987, she captivated the
world by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film A
Children of a Lesser God. Marlee Matlin became deaf in infancy due to
Roseola infantum. However, deafness has not disabled her or her career.
Michael Bolton
(famous Singer): Deaf in one ear
Sarah Bernhardt
French actress (1844-1923) Disabled by a knee injury, her leg
amputated in 1914, she continued starring on stage until just before
her death. She is regarded as France's greatest actress -- "The Divine
Sarah".
Stephen Hawkings
Physicist/mathematician has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a
wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
Sudha Chandran
(Indian actress and classical dancer) This brave lady dances with a
Jaipur foot. She has acted in a movie on classical dance called "Nache
Mayuri" & today acts in a variety of TV serials.
Tanni Grey-Thompson
Tanni Carys Davina Grey-Thompson OBE - to give her full name and title
- is the disabled athlete that most people instantly recognise.
Formerly Tanni Grey - the Thompson was added following her marriage in
1999 - she has competed in Paralympic Games since 1988, representing
Britain at distances ranging from 100m to 800m. She has won fourteen
paralympic medals including nine golds, and has broken over twenty
world records. As a wheelchair athlete she was also the winner of five
London marathons - in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2001. In recent
years, she has established herself as a TV presenter - including BBC
TWO's From the Edge disability magazine programme.
Walt Disney
Had a learning disability
Woodrow Wilson
U.S. President from 1913-1921. Had a learning disability - he was
severely dyslexic
Ludwig van Beethoven
(Famous Musician) - known to be deaf
Cher
Has dyslexia
Tom Cruise
(Hollywood Star): is severely dyslexic
Robin Williams
(famous Hollywood Star) was diagnosed to be suffering from Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) as a child. He never refuses a
role related to medicine e.g Awakenings, Patch Adams.
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