Ever Lee Hairston
Ever Lee Hairston describes herself as Black, Blind, Successful, and Blessed as she travels throughout the U.S. and abroad lobbying for the blind. As a child, Hairston worked picking cotton and attended segregated schools. As an activist in the blind community, she is the Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey and founder of the Garden State Chapter, Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Ever Lee serves as coordinator for the New Jersey Commission for the Blind Lead Program (a mentoring program for blind and visually impaired teens; teaching leadership, education, advocacy, and determination).
NFB - Black, Blind, and Successful: The Story of a Fighter
NFB - Black, Blind, and Successful: The Story of a Fighter
Ever Lee Hairston's speech at the conference of the National Federation of the Blind of California in October 2009
Harriet Tubman - Rescuer of Slaves (1820-1913)
Harriet Tubman was a slave born on a plantation in Maryland. When she was thirteen years old she threw herself between a fellow slave and the plantation overseer who was about to whip him. The overseer struck Harriet on the head. For the rest of her life she had a form of epilepsy. When she was 29 Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery and dedicated the rest of her life to rescuing other slaves and to civil rights, including women's suffrage.
More information:
New York History Net - The Life of Harriet Tubman
The Harriet Tubman Historical Society
TeacherLink Lesson Plan on Harriet Tubman for 4th-5th grades
Electric Foundry Famous People - Harriet Tubman
More information:
New York History Net - The Life of Harriet Tubman
The Harriet Tubman Historical Society
TeacherLink Lesson Plan on Harriet Tubman for 4th-5th grades
Electric Foundry Famous People - Harriet Tubman
John Wesley Powell - Explorer, Geologist (1834-1902)
John Wesley Powell had an strong interest in nature and science even as a child. After he lost his right arm in the Civil War, his father urged him to become a minister saying, "Wes, you are a maimed man, get this notion of science and adventure out of your mind." Ignoring this John Wesley became a science professor and explorer who developed an interest in preserving Native American cultures. In 1879, he founded the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of Ethnology to study and record the traditions of Native Americans.
More information:
John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum
More information:
John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum
"Blind Tom" Wiggins (1849-1908)
Thomas Wiggins was a slave from Georgia who may have been autistic. From an early age he had the ability to compose and play music and he toured concert halls in Europe and America as a musical oddity. Geneva Handy Southall wrote a book about him entitled, "Blind Tom, The Black Pianist Composer: Continually Enslaved."
More Information:
Archangels Unaware - a biography from Twainquotes
More Information:
Archangels Unaware - a biography from Twainquotes
Otto Weidt (1883-1947)
Otto Weidt was compelled by his growing blindness to abandon his work as a wallpaper hanger. He thereupon set up a workshop for the blind at 39, Rosenthalerstrasse in Berlin N., which manufactured brushes and brooms. Practically all of his employees were blind and/or deaf Jews. They were assigned to him from the Jewish Home for the Blind in Berlin-Stegliz. When the deportations began, Weidt fought with Gestapo officials over the fate of every single Jewish worker. As means of persuasion he would use both bribery and the argument that his employees were essential for fulfilling orders commissioned by the army. Once, when the Gestapo had arrested several of his workers, the self-appointed guardian of the Jewish blind went in person to the assembly camp at the Grosse Hamburger-Strasse, where the Jews were incarcerated pending deportation, and succeeded in securing their release at the last minute.
More Information:
Jewish Virtual Library | Museum Otto Weidt’s Workshop for the Blind | The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation
More Information:
Jewish Virtual Library | Museum Otto Weidt’s Workshop for the Blind | The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation
Franklin Delano Roosevelt - U.S. President (1882-1945)
Franklin Roosevelt served for 3 terms as President of the United States and helped pull the country out of the depression through social programs. He also led the U.S. through World War II. Due to polio, FDR could not walk unassisted. Unfortunately, because of the times, he felt he had to hide the extent of his disability from the American public.
More Information:
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library & Digital Archives
The Internet Public Library - Presidents of the United States - Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Polio History Pages: FDR and His Disability - Lesson Ideas
Book: Gallagher, Hugh. FDR's Splendid Deception : The Moving Story of Roosevelt's Massive Disability-And the Intense Efforts to Conceal It from the Public.
More Information:
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library & Digital Archives
The Internet Public Library - Presidents of the United States - Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Polio History Pages: FDR and His Disability - Lesson Ideas
Book: Gallagher, Hugh. FDR's Splendid Deception : The Moving Story of Roosevelt's Massive Disability-And the Intense Efforts to Conceal It from the Public.
Dorothea Lange - Photographer (1895-1965)
Dorothea Lange walked with a limp due to contracting polio at the age of seven. She said of her disability - "I think it was perhaps the most important thing that happened to me. If formed me, guided me, instructed me, helped me, humiliated me, all those things at once. I've never gotten over it, and I am aware of the force and power of it." Lange spent her life traveling the world photographing mostly the disenfranchised.
More Information:
Library of Congress: Women Come to the Front - Journalists, Photographers, and Broadcasters During World War II - Dorothea Lange
Oakland Museum of California - Dorothea Lange Archive
More Information:
Library of Congress: Women Come to the Front - Journalists, Photographers, and Broadcasters During World War II - Dorothea Lange
Oakland Museum of California - Dorothea Lange Archive
Frida Kahlo - Artist (1907-1954)
Born in Mexico, Frida Kahlo is known throughout the world for her unusual, colorful, and sometimes disturbing paintings. Her disabilities stemmed from childhood polio and a horrible bus accident when she was eighteen. Many of her paintings reflect the physical pain she suffered through most of her life. Kahlo was also active in Mexican political causes which led to her joining the Communist Party.
More Information: Art Cyclopedia - Frida Kahlo - links to Kahlo's art on the web
More Information: Art Cyclopedia - Frida Kahlo - links to Kahlo's art on the web
Audre Lorde - Poet, Activist (1934-1992)
Audre Lorde's family was from the Caribbean island of Grenada but she grew up in New York City. After being married and raising two children, Lorde came out as a lesbian in 1971. Her writings and lectures reflected her concern for the oppressed: women, gays and lesbians, and racial minorities. When she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer she refused to wear a prothesis stating, "Either I love my body one-breasted now, or remain forever alien to myself." Lorde won several awards for her writing.
More Information:
LambaNet - Remember Audre Lorde
University of Colorado at Boulder - A Tribute to Audre Lorde
More Information:
LambaNet - Remember Audre Lorde
University of Colorado at Boulder - A Tribute to Audre Lorde
Judi Chamberlin - Mental Patients' Liberation Activist (1944-2010)
In her early 20s Judi Chamberlin was hospitalized in a state institution due to depression. She was horrified by the prison-like atomosphere of the hospital and soon discovered that, as a psychiatric patient, she had no legal rights. Later, in the 1970s, Judi cofounded a group of psychiatric survivors called the Mental Patients Liberation Front. In 1978 she published a book, On Our Own: Patient-Controlled Alternatives to the Mental Health System. Judi received the Distinguished Service Award of the President of the United States from the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities in 1992.
More Information:
National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy - Judi Chamberlin
More Information:
National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy - Judi Chamberlin
Wilma Mankiller - Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1945-2010)
Wilma Mankiller was a homemaker living in the San Francisco suburbs during the 1960s when she became involved with the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island. The protest inspired Mankiller to become more involved in Native American issues and she eventually returned to her Cherokee country in northeastern Oklahoma. In 1979, while Mankiller was in the hospital recovering from a serious car accident, whe was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy. She continued working with the Cherokee Nation and in 1985 became principal chief, the first woman ever to hold such a high-ranking position in a major tribal government.
More Information:
Salon - Wilma Mankiller
PowerSource Gallery - Wilma Mankiller former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
More Information:
Salon - Wilma Mankiller
PowerSource Gallery - Wilma Mankiller former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
Harilyn Rousso - Disability Rights Activist/Psychotherapist (1946-)
After earning a degree in economics from Brandeis University and working for a while at the Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington, DC, Harilyn Rousso discovered she had an interest in a career that would involve interpersonal relationships. She became an activist after being dropped from a psychotherapy training institute solely because of her disability. Harilyn was also involved in the women's movement and became active in trying to get both movements to acknowledge and incorporate each other. In the early 1980s she helped design the Networking Project for Disabled Women and Girls, and in 1988 Harilyn edited the book, Disabled, Female, and Proud.
More Information:
Women Make Movies - Positive Images: Portraits of Women with Disabilitiesby Harilyn Rousso and Julie Harrison
Disabled Yet Intact: stories from a life in progress "Birth, Mine" - Harilyn Rousso memoir
More Information:
Women Make Movies - Positive Images: Portraits of Women with Disabilitiesby Harilyn Rousso and Julie Harrison
Disabled Yet Intact: stories from a life in progress "Birth, Mine" - Harilyn Rousso memoir
Judy Heumann - Assistant Secretary of Education (b. 1947)
Judy Heumann fought all her life to be included in the educational system. When the New York City Board of Education refused to let her teach, even the ACLU would not help, but after a long struggle she eventually won her case. In 1970 Judy and several disabled friends founded Disabled in Action, an organization that set out to secure the protection of people with disabilities under civil rights laws. She moved to Berkeley in 1973 where she served as deputy director of the Center for Independent Living and led the takeover of the HEW offices in San Francisco to get Califano to sign the Section 504 regulations. In 1983, with Ed Roberts, Judy Heumann cofounded the World Institute on Disability, and then served as Assistant Secretary of Education in charge of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation. In June 2002, Judy Heumann became the World Bank Advisor on Disability & Development.
Helen Keller - Deaf/Blind Activist
From the American Federation of the Blind. Over 1500 items, a panorama of the lives of Helen Keller, her teacher, and her companions. The photos depict Helen Keller's work for people who are blind or visually impaired in the United States and abroad, as well as her daily activities at home and her work on the vaudeville stage and in Hollywood.
Jhamak Ghimire - Nepalese Poet and Writer (1980)
Ghimire was born with cerebral palsy and taught herself to read and write. "Now she has been a known literary person in Nepal. As a result of her dedication to literature writing, she has been awarded by Kabita Ram Bal Sahitya Prativa Puraskar 2055, Aswikrit Bichar Sahitya Puraskar 2056 and many other letters of felicitation from different social organization. Some people would like to address her as 'Hellen Keller of Nepal'." (from ASMITA)
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.
Stephen Hawking:
Physicist/mathematician has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
John Milton:
English Author/poet (1608–1674):He became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
Ludwig van Beethoven :
(Famous Musician) – known to be deaf
Helen Keller :
(Devoted Life to Persons with Disabilities) She was Blind, Deaf, and Mute.
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Franklin D. Roosevelt had Polio,was governor of New York State then elected President of the United States for 4 terms.
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.
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.
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.
Tom Cruise:
(Hollywood Star): is severely dyslexic
Walt Disney:
Had a learning disability
Michael Bolton:
(famous Singer):Deaf in one ear
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.
Marla Runyan:
One of the women representing the United States in the 1500 meter track event at the 2000 Olympics was Marla Runyan. The American runner finished seventh in her preliminary heat and rose to sixth in the semifinals 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.
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.
Stephen Hawking:
Physicist/mathematician has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
John Milton:
English Author/poet (1608–1674):He became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
Ludwig van Beethoven :
(Famous Musician) – known to be deaf
Helen Keller :
(Devoted Life to Persons with Disabilities) She was Blind, Deaf, and Mute.
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Franklin D. Roosevelt had Polio,was governor of New York State then elected President of the United States for 4 terms.
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.
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.
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.
Tom Cruise:
(Hollywood Star): is severely dyslexic
Walt Disney:
Had a learning disability
Michael Bolton:
(famous Singer):Deaf in one ear
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.
Marla Runyan:
One of the women representing the United States in the 1500 meter track event at the 2000 Olympics was Marla Runyan. The American runner finished seventh in her preliminary heat and rose to sixth in the semifinals 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.
University of Cambridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| University of Cambridge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Latin: Academia Cantabrigiensis | ||||
| Motto | Hinc lucem et pocula sacra (Latin) | |||
| Motto in English | Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts Non-literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge | |||
| Established | c. 1209 | |||
| Type | Public | |||
| Endowment | £4.1 billion (2011, incl. colleges)[1] (approx. $6.7bn) | |||
| Chancellor | The Lord Sainsbury of Turville | |||
| Vice-Chancellor | Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz | |||
| Academic staff | 5,846 (incl. contract researchers)[2] | |||
| Admin. staff | 1,539[2] | |||
| Students | 18,396[3] | |||
| Undergraduates | 12,018[3] | |||
| Postgraduates | 6,378[3] | |||
| Location | Cambridge, England, UK | |||
| Colours | Cambridge Blue[4] | |||
| Athletics | The Sporting Blue | |||
| Affiliations | Russell Group Coimbra Group EUA G5 LERU IARU | |||
| Website | www.cam.ac.uk | |||
 | ||||
The University of Cambridge (informally Cambridge University, or simply Cambridge) is apublic research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldestuniversity in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world (after the University of Oxford), and the seventh-oldest globally. In post-nominals the university's name is abbreviated asCantab, a shortened form of Cantabrigiensis (an adjective derived from Cantabrigia, the Latinisedform of Cambridge).
The university grew out of an association of scholars in the city of Cambridge that was formed in 1209, early records suggest, by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with townsfolk.[5] The two "ancient universities" have many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge. In addition to cultural and practical associations as a historic part of British society, they have a long history of rivalry with each other.
Academically Cambridge ranks as one of the top universities in the world: first in the world in both the 2010 and 2011 QS World University Rankings,[6] sixth in the world in the 2011 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and fifth in the world (and first in Europe) in the 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities. Cambridge regularly contends with Oxford for first place in UK league tables.[7][8][9] In the most recently published ranking of UK universities, published by The Guardian newspaper, Cambridge was ranked first.[10]
Graduates of the University have won a total of 61 Nobel Prizes, the most of any university in the world.[11] In 2009, the marketing consultancy World Brand Lab rated Cambridge University as the 50th most influential brand in the world, and the 4th most influential university brand, behind only Harvard, MIT and Stanford University,[12] while in 2011, Cambridge ranked third, after Harvard and MIT, in The Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, which reflect the reputation of universities for educational and research excellence based on a survey of academics worldwide.[13]
Cambridge is a member of the Coimbra Group, the G5, the International Alliance of Research Universities, the League of European Research Universities and the Russell Group of research-led British universities. It forms part of the 'Golden Triangle' of British universities.
Some More Disables
Stephen Hawking
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Stephen Hawking | |
|---|---|
 Stephen Hawking at NASA, 1980s | |
| Born | Stephen William Hawking 8 January 1942 Oxford, England |
| Residence | England |
| Nationality | British |
| Fields | Applied mathematics Theoretical physics Cosmology |
| Institutions | Cambridge University California Institute of Technology Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics |
| Alma mater | Oxford University Cambridge University |
| Doctoral advisor | Dennis Sciama |
| Other academic advisors | Robert Berman |
| Doctoral students | Bruce Allen Raphael Bousso Fay Dowker Malcolm Perry Bernard Carr Gary Gibbons Harvey Reall Don Page Tim Prestidge Raymond Laflamme Julian Luttrell |
| Known for | Black holes Theoretical cosmology Quantum gravity Hawking radiation |
| Influences | Dikran Tahta Albert Einstein |
| Notable awards | Wolf Prize (1988) Prince of Asturias Award (1989) Copley Medal (2006) Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009) |
| Spouse | Jane Hawking (m. 1965–1991, divorced) Elaine Mason (m. 1995–2006, divorced) |
Signature | |
Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA (born 8 January 1942)[1] is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity. He is an Honorary Fellow of theRoyal Society of Arts,[2] a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences,[3]and in 2009 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.[4]
Hawking was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge for 30 years, taking up the post in 1979 and retiring on 1 October 2009.[5][6] He is now Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge. He is also a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and a Distinguished Research Chair at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario.[7] He is known for his contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes. He has also achieved success with works of popular science in which he discusses his own theories and cosmology in general; these include the runaway best seller A Brief History of Time, which stayed on the BritishSunday Times best-sellers list for a record-breaking 237 weeks.[8][9]
Hawking's key scientific works to date have included providing, with Roger Penrose,theorems regarding gravitational singularities in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes should emit radiation, which is today known as Hawking radiation (or sometimes as Bekenstein–Hawking radiation).[10]
Hawking has a motor neurone disease that is related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a condition that has progressed over the years and has left him almost completely paralysed.
Firdaus Kanga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Firdaus Kanga (b. 1960, Bombay) is a writer and actor who lives in London. He has written a novel, Trying to Grow a semi-autobiographical novel set in India and a travel book Heaven on Wheels about his experiences in the United Kingdom. Trying to Grow was later turned into an award-winning BBC-BFI film, Sixth Happiness, for which Kanga wrote the screenplay, and in which he starred. Alexander Walker of the Evening Standard said of Sixth Happiness: "Firdaus Kanga's performance has battery pack power...a remarkable true story."
Contents[hide] |
Famous scientista and inventors with disabilities
Many people see disabled people as being on the receiving end of technological developments, eg medical cures and treatments, or inventions such as electronic wheelchairs or MiniComs for deaf people.
Far fewer people are aware that a number of scientists with disabilities have themselves contributed greatly to our understanding of science, and been responsible for inventions which have enriched the lives of millions of people, both disabled and non-disabled.
A few of them are mentioned here ...
Alexander Graham Bell
Disability: learning disability (source: Kids Health - learning disabilities)
Invented the telephone
Ironically, he is not popular with some deaf people following his alleged remarks that deaf people should be sterilized, as a form of eugenics. We say alleged, there is some controversy as to whether he made these comments - see Article 19
Red Disability denounces all forms of eugenics, and all discrimination against disabled people - even from a person who is disabled.
But, whatever Bell may or may not have said, the fact that Bell invented the telephone proves that people with learning disabilities can still contribute enormously to society.
- Alexander Graham Bell on Famous Inventors and Inventions website
- Alexander Graham Bell's Path To The Telephone
- Slightly deaf (source: Lightbulbs and Hearing Loss)
- Learning disability (did not learn to read until aged 12) (source: Thomas Edison biography)
- Diabetic (source: Random Facts on Diabetes)
Probably most famous for inventing the electric light, Edison also invented the record player and the cinematic camera.
Significantly, due to his learning disability, his writing skills remained "poor" throughout his life.
This web page describes how he discovered the record player almost by accident, while working on telephone technology.
The first record player, or "phonograph", recorded on cylinders. (Just as well someone developed disc records, or we may be using cylindrical CDs and CD-ROMs now !). His work paved the way for the records and CDs we listen to today. So the small minority of fascist rock bands who slag off disabled people, should bear in mind that they wouldn't be recording their "music" if it wasn't for a disabled inventor !
Websites:
Albert Einstein
Disabilities:
- Probably had Aspergers Syndrome, a type of autism (source: New Scientist article)
- widely stated that he was dyslexic (although there is some controversy about this - see Article 19)
A brilliant atomic physicist, probably most famous for his Theory of Relativity.
Henry Ford
disability: dyslexic (source: Dyslexia Health Education - Famous Dyslexics (sic))
Inventor of the motor car.
Website:Dr Temple Grandin
disability: autism (source: Temple Grandin's Autism Resources Page)
Agricultural scientist, professor of animal behaviour
Disability: Motor neurone disease. (source: My Experience With ALS)
Uses a motorized wheelchair, and a computerized speech-synthesizer.
Uses a motorized wheelchair, and a computerized speech-synthesizer.
Probably one of the greatest astronomical physicists of modern times, Stephen Hawking has developed several theories about the nature and origins of our universe.
One of them, as outlined in his book "Black Holes and Baby Universes", suggests that each black hole contains another universe of similar size to our own. And that our universe is formed from a black hole in another universe. Very important, and interesting, in that it is the first theory which does not require a belief that the universe must have been created by some sort of god.
One of them, as outlined in his book "Black Holes and Baby Universes", suggests that each black hole contains another universe of similar size to our own. And that our universe is formed from a black hole in another universe. Very important, and interesting, in that it is the first theory which does not require a belief that the universe must have been created by some sort of god.
Isaac Newton
Disability: stutter (source: Famous stutterers), epilepsy (source: Epilepsy Parents Information)Discovered theory of gravity.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Disability: dyslexic (source: Leonardo, Portrait of a Dyslexic Genius)Famous creative artist, most famous for his detailed sketch of a bicycle.
In addition, most modern technological developments take place in large laboratories with a number of scientists working there - a number of whom will, almost certainly, be disabled.
Unfortunately, there are still a number of people who work in the electronic and computing industries who believe that disabled people are out of place in science and technology. We hope this web-page proves them wrong !
Disabled Mathematicians (without whom, scientific discoveries would be a lot harder !)
Pythagoras
Disability: epilepsy (source: Paul Oldham's list of People with Epilepsy)
Most famous is his theory for working out the length of sides on a right-angled triangle; namely:
"the square on the hypoteneuse (the longest side) is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides".
"the square on the hypoteneuse (the longest side) is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides".
Less well-known is Pythagoras' second theory, which can be used for a non-right angled triangle.
This has many uses, including triangulation (which also has many uses, including use by the DTI for tracking down and raiding pirate radio stations
Sports People with Disabilities
There are many disabled people who play sports, and some have won awards in the Paralympics and other competitions for disabled sports people. Less well known is the fact that some famous mainstream sports people have disabilities. Some examples are listed below.
Tony Grieg
Disability: epilepsy (source: Famous People with Epilepsy)
Cricketer for England
Website:
- Tony Grieg profile on cricinfoengland
Gary Mabbutt
Disability: diabetic (source: BBCi Health section on Diabetes)
Football player for various clubs, most recently Tottenham Hotspur.
Played for England in a World Cup game.
Websites:
Paula Radcliffe
Disability: asthma (source: How Paula overcame Asthma on BBCi)
Marathon runner
Websites:
Jonty Rhodes
Disability: epilepsy (source: Epilepsy South Africa web page)
Plays cricket for South Africa
Steve Redgrave
Disability: diabetic (source: Bishops Stortford College report on his visit)
Olympic rower, part of the team which won a gold medal for the UK in the 2000 Sydney Olympic games.
Websites:
Andy Boy Simmonz
Disability: cystic fibrosis (source: Andrew Simmons article on Wikipedia)
Wrestler, for the British Frontier Wrestling Alliance.
Has also competed on the World Wrestling Entertainment shows WWE Velocity and WWE Heat.
- Andrew Simmons article on Wikipedia
- Obsessed With Wrestling profile of Andy Boy Simmonz
- Andy Simmonz on MySpace
- Frontier Wrestling Alliance website
Ken Venturi
Disability: stuttered severely when younger (source: Stuttering Foundation of America)
Golfer (won 1961 U.S. Open).
