Stephen Hawking --- Theoretical Physicist
20 Successful and Famous Persons with Disabilities
- Stephen Hawking: A world renowned theoretical Physicist with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. One of the most admired scientists in the world with numerous awards and books on Physics.
- John Nash: World renowned Mathematician who was diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia. His disease never deterred his work and his work in Geometry and Partial Differential Equations is still considered to be outstanding.
- Albert Einstein: Respected Mathematician-Physicist who had a learning disability and did not speak until the age of 3.
- Alexander Graham Bell: Famous US inventor who had a learning disability.
- Vincent van Gough: One of the best known and skilled artists of all time. He suffered from mental illness (depression) and eventually committed suicide. However, his paintings remain revered to this day.
- Helen Keller: Blind and deaf, she was the first with those disabilities to achieve a BA degree. Keller was a political activist and author and helped to found the US ACLU.
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Beethoven was deaf and was one of the most admired composers of all time. He was guided by Mozart and also studied piano.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: US president during World War II who contracted polio and used a wheelchair. Sadly Roosevelt hid the fact that he was a wheelchair user due to the cultural bias regarding the disabled. He was considered one of the greatest US presidents.
- George Washington: First US president who is widely considered to have suffered from learning disabilities including dyslexia. He suffered from problems with spelling and grammar but taught himself to overcome those difficulties.
- Thomas Jefferson: Third US president who is suspected of having several learning disabilities including dyslexia and stuttering. Jefferson is remembered for authoring the Declaration of Independence.
- James Madison: Fourth president of the US and suffered with epilepsy for his entire life. Madison was remembered for purposing the first 12 amendments of the US constitution.
- Abraham Lincoln: 16th President of the US who suffered with depression which reportedly caused physical ailments resulting in temporary incapacity. In addition to being president, Lincoln was a lawyer and a member of the US House of Representatives.
- Theodore Roosevelt: 26th President of the United States who suffered from severe asthma which resulted in stunted growth. He suffered a detached retina after a boxing match which caused blindness in one eye. He was also a Rough Rider during the Spanish-American War.
- Woodrow Wilson: The 28th President of the United States who suffered from dyslexia and at age 10 was almost completely unable to read. He later went on to study law and later became the President of Princeton University.
- Dwight Eisenhower: 34th President of the United States and is believed to have had dyslexia. Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II and later became president of Columbia University.
- John F. Kennedy: 35th President of the United States and suffered from dyslexia and chronic severe back pain. He served in the Navy where he earned a Purple Heart.
- Stevie Wonder: Musician and singer and fierce advocate for the disabled in the United States.
- John Hockenberry: Suffered from spinal cord injury and used a wheelchair. He was a journalist, author and 4 time Emmy Award winner.
- Frida Kahlo: Kahlo suffered from Polio but despite the disability, became a celebrated painter in Mexico.
- Marla Runyan: Runyan suffered from Stargardt's Disease which left her blind as a child. Despite her disability, she became a national champion 3 times in women's 5000 meter races.
These are just a small sampling of people with disabilities who were successful and famous. Think about this when hiring for positions and the contributions the disabled could make if only they are given an equal opportunity.
