Famous Handicapped People
Famous Handicapped People

Handicapped People

A disability doesn’t always have to stand between you and your dreams. You may be able to do all the things you want to do, despite your handicap. While it’s true that a disabled person may have to work harder to achieve goals than someone without a disability, the effort is worth it. The Special Olympics are a perfect example of disabled people living their dreams and achieving athletic excellence in their chosen field. It is entirely possible for many disabled persons to participate in athletics. There are many famous handicapped people, and reading about them can help a disabled individual gain confidence.

The most noteworthy disabled person has to be Helen Keller. Born in 1880 and passed on in 1968, Keller was instrumental in helping the disabled live richer, fuller lives. Keller suffered a disease as a toddler that left her blind and deaf. She was educated by Anne Sullivan and became extremely adept at communicating. Keller was also credited with introducing the Akita breed of dog to the United States, and devoted much of her life to advocating for the disabled. She was also a published author and distinguished lecturer.

Someone you may recognize from television shows and movies that suffers from a disability is Marlee Matlin, who is blind. She is an academy award winning actress who despite her disability is a full fledged Hollywood star. Then there’s Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease. He works hard to raise awareness for the disease and help others. The man many believe to be the smartest person in the world, Steven Hawkings, is confined to a wheelchair and must speak via computer due to Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Despite this he is a renowned speaker, author, mathematician and physicist.

There are many famous actors and actresses who have some form of disability, for example Tom Cruise has suffered from dyslexia. Christopher Reeve is another famous name, after being paralyzed in a riding accident he spent the remainder of his years in a wheelchair unable to move his arms or legs. He also used his disability to its fullest by striving to help others. That is perhaps one of the common threads you will notice when researching famous handicapped people. Because they often have the notoriety and financial resources to do so, many disabled stars contribute to research efforts, patient advocacy, disability awareness and more.

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