FRIDA KAHLO

Frida suffered polio during her childhood and, according to some sources,
also had spina bifida, which caused dysmetria in her right leg. In addition,
her spinal problems were aggravated by an accident suffered in her
adolescence, which left her with physical issues for her entire life.

Frida spent much of her life in bed suffering from severe pain. Even so, she
became one of the most famous artists of all time and an icon of the twentieth
century.
 JOHN NASH

Another example of a celebrity with a disability who broke the mould is John
Nash, an American mathematician whose life, marked by acute paranoid
schizophrenia, is known to us thanks to the film "A Beautiful Mind" Aware of
his illness, Nash fought against it and developed a successful academic
career that earned him the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994.
 STEPHEN HAWKING

A theoretical physicist, astrophysicist, cosmologist, and eminent scientist, Stephen

Hawking was diagnosed with ALS at age 21: he was given 2 more years to live. He
lived until he was 76-years-old.
He had been paralysed from head to toe for over thirty years and used a voice
synthesiser to be able to communicate, and a wheelchair that he operated through
slight movements of the head and eyes.
None of this prevented him from developing his activity as an exemplary researcher
and professor, and intense personal life that allowed him to make his illness known
to the world.
Becoming one of the most recognisable celebrities of our time, his story was taken to
the cinema in the film "The Theory of Everything".
 NICK VUJICIC

Nick Vujicic is another world-famous celebrity with a disability, and founder of

Life Without Limbs - an organisation for people with physical disabilities.

Vujicic was born in 1982 with no limbs. He claims that as a child he suffered
ridicule and discrimination, and tried to commit suicide but, with time, he
learned to see his own potential.

He is currently giving motivational talks around the world, has written

several books and is a regular on talk shows and TV programs. He became very
famous when starring in the touching short film "The Butterfly Circus".
 ANDREA BOCCELLI

Tenor, musician, writer and musical producer of Italian origin, Andrea Boccelli
has sold more than 75 million records.He was born with congenital
glaucoma that left him partially blind, something that did not prevent him
from taking piano lessons until the age of six However, at age 12 he suffered a
blow during a football game that left him completely blind. Endowed with a
spirit of innate improvement, he decided to focus entirely on music, specifically
on singing. He also studied Law.Boccelli has received numerous awards of
international prestige and even has a beach named after him on the Adriatic.
 MICHAEL J. FOX

The protagonist of "Back to the Future" was diagnosed with Parkinson‟s in

1991 when he was only 29 years old and his career was in full success.He was
told that he should withdraw from the stage, but he did not cease to be an
actor. Although at first it was not easy to accept his illness (he fell into
depression and alcoholism), in the last decade he has not stopped working and
his foundation has already raised $233 million for Parkinson’s research.

After more than 25 years and with the disease in a very advanced stage,
Michael J. Fox continues to maintain his spirit of improvement.
 ALEX ZANARDI

After several years competing in F1, Alex Zanardi suffered an accident in 2001
in which both legs were amputated. Three years later he was on the track
again driving a BMW for which he himself had adapted some prostheses.

He won four World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) victories. However, in

2007 he decided to focus his sporting efforts on adapted cycling.

The tricycle he rides has also been designed by himself and, to date, he
has won three Paralympic golds.
 AARON FOTHERINGHAM

In addition to being one of the most inspirational disabled celebrities, Aaron

Fotheringham is also one of the most famous skaters in the world.
His speciality? Wheelchair skating.
During his childhood, Aaron underwent several failed hip operations that forced him
to use a wheelchair permanently. Even so, he continued to practice a sport which he
was passionate about adapting to his disability.
In 2005, Aaron Fotheringham landed a great jump with a 180º turn, and in 2006
made the first somersault in wheelchair history. Since then, his achievements and
challenges are an example for thousands of people.
 FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT

In 1921, Franklin Roosevelt was a rising star in the Democratic party when
polio struck him and left him with paralyzed legs. Determined that he would
walk again so that he could resume his political career, he set himself a stiff
regime of exercise.

He never did achieve his goal of walking. But, urged by his wife and a close
associate, he re-entered public life. At a time when disabled people were
often sent to asylums, Roosevelt and his insistence on “good cheer” won the
hearts of the voters, who elected him president not once but four times.

Roosevelt led the country through the Great Depression and World War II,
and never ceased to advocate for the disabled.
 ITZHAK PERLMAN

At three, Itzhak Perlman knew he wanted to play the violin, even though he
could barely hold a child-sized one. The music school wouldn‟t accept him.
Undeterred, he taught himself to play.

A year later he was paralyzed by polio and in a wheelchair. Doctors didn‟t think
he should pursue music, but he pushed on.

Now he‟s an internationally known violinist and conductor, winner of more

than 12 Grammy awards and numerous Emmys.
 STEPHEN HAWKING
Stephen Hawking was one of the most well-known physicists in the world, and
was diagnosed with ALS when he was 21.
Hawking spoke with the assistance of a computer in the later years of his life
and was a full-time powerchair user since the 1980s. His in-depth studies of
the universe, specifically the framework of general relativity and quantum
mechanics, became a popular introduction to the field for lay persons, and
Hawking was a popular figure in pop culture as well – appearing on hugely
popular television shows such as The Simpsons and Star Trek: The Next
Generation. His best-selling work, A Brief History of Time, stayed on the Sunday
Times bestsellers list for an astounding 237 weeks.
 FDR
A beloved leader who helped guide the nation successfully through World War
II, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is considered to be one of the greatest American
presidents. FDR was perhaps one of the most famous wheelchair users in
history, having contracted polio while drinking water at a campground, which
resulted in his paralysis from the waist down.

Unfortunately during this era, Roosevelt‟s paralysis wasn‟t made public until
years later due to fear of the public doubting his competency as a result of his
disability.
 RALPH BRAUN
The late founder of the Braun Corporation – one of the leading manufacturers
of wheelchair accessible vehicles – and named “a champion of change” by
President Barack Obama, Ralph Braun was a man who thrived on bringing the
freedom of mobility to people living with disabilities.

Born with muscular dystrophy, Ralph started his career in 1966 when he
created the first wheelchair accessible van with hand controls and in 1991
Ralph‟s company, BraunAbility, created the first accessible minivan. Braun‟s
vision has brought mobility via four wheels to millions of people around the
world.
 JOHN HOCKENBERRY
An American journalist and author, four-time Emmy Award winner, and three-
time Peabody Award winner, John Hockenberry is one of the most successful
journalists in history. He worked for Dateline in the late 1990s, and was one of
the first journalists to work with a visible disability on an American network; a
wheelchair due to spinal cord injury. John also wrote the book Moving
Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs and Declarations of Independence, and has
been a radio host of The Takeaway, a live national news program on Public
Radio since 2008
 MARLEE MATLIN
Marlee is an Academy Award winning actress, known for her leading role
in Children of a Lesser God (1986). Deaf since the age of 18 months due to a
genetically malformed cochlea, Matlin also received a Golden Globe Award for
her role in Children of a Lesser God, and has since gone on to guest star in
many high profile television series such as The L Word and Law & Order: SVU.
She has also appeared on reality shows such as The Apprentice and Dancing
with the Stars.
 STEVIE WONDER
Legendary musician, singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder was born blind, due to
being six weeks premature and the blood vessels at the back of his eyes not
having yet reached maturation.

Considered a child prodigy, Stevie signed with his first record label at age 11,
Motown‟s Tamla label, and has been performing since. Over his wildly
successful music career, Stevie has recorded more than 30 American top ten
hits, including his singles “Superstition,” “Sir Duke”, and “I Just Called to Say I
Love You.”
 HELEN KELLER
An American author, political activist, and lecturer, Helen Keller was the first
deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her story was
famously portrayed in the play and film, The Miracle Worker, which
documented how her teacher Anne Sullivan was finally able to develop a
language that Helen could understand.
Helen wrote a total of twelve published books, including her spiritual
autobiography, My Religion, and was also a member of the Socialist Party in
America. She campaigned heavily for women‟s rights and other labour rights,
and was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Lyndon Johnson
in 1964.
 LENIN MORENO
One of the most powerful people with a disability to hold public office since
FDR, Lenin Moreno was the Vice President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2013,
making history and bringing attention to the needs of other Ecuadorians living
with disabilities. He was injured in a shooting before getting involved in
politics, and was nominated for a Noble Peace Prize for his advocacy during his
time as Vice President, in 2012.
 SUDHA CHANDRAN
Sudha Chandran is a famous „Bollywood‟ dancer and television actress, who
lost a leg to infection in 1981 after a car accident. A dancer in the
Bharatanatyam form of Indian classical dance, Sudha taught herself how to
dance using a prosthetic “Japir foot,” resulting in her becoming one of the most
highly acclaimed dancers in the world. A Bollywood film, Mayuri, was also
made about her life.
 STELLA YOUNG
Stella was a prominent disability activist, writer and comedian from right here
in Victoria, born in Stawell. Stella was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a
genetic disorder that causes bones to break easily. At the age of fourteen,
she began a life of advocacy for people living with disability, and was an
ambassador for Our Watch as well as a member of various boards and councils
including Victorian Disability Advisory Council, the Ministerial Advisory
Council for the Department of Victorian Communities, the Youth Disability
Advocacy Service, and Women with Disabilities Victoria.

Stella was also a two-time state finalist in the Melbourne International Comedy
Festival's Raw Comedy competition, and hosted eight seasons of Australia's
first disability culture program, No Limits, on Channel 31. A regular contributor
to ABC's The Drum since 2011, and a correspondent for the 2012 Paralympics
from London, Stella also wrote for Mamamia and The Punch. Sadly she passed
away in December 2014.