Famous/inspirational people with disabilities

[Kanin]

Hi all! Before school starts, I want to put together a bulletin board outside my classroom with inspirational/famous people with disabilities. I've been looking at lists online... but the problem is, my students are young (8-14) so they might not even know who some people are, like Justin Timberlake or Whoopi Goldberg. On the other hand, I'm not up on all of the people kids follow... tiktokers, etc.

I did find out that the guy who plays Harry Potter has dyspraxia. I'm sure they'll know who he is. 

Anyone want to contribute to my list? 🙂 Thanks!

[Katy]

The Holderness Family just put out a video about celebrities with ADHD to promote their new book, ADHD is awesome. 

[TravelingChris]

What disabilitites do Justin Timberlake and Whoopi Goldberg have?

A very famous person who is highly successful is Elon Musk who has Aspergers.

Selena Gomez has Lupus and Venus Williams has Sjogren's.

[Toocrazy!!]

With the Paralympics this summer, Hunter Woodhall has been showing up on my social media feed a lot. Double amputee sprinter.  

[happypamama]

Michael J. Fox comes to mind because I've been watching him play a disabled character on The Good Wife. Not sure if kids will know him, but maybe from retro movies.

 

Kayla Cromer is listed as the first person with autism to play a character with autism on American TV (The Good Doctor), and since autism often presents differently in AFAB people, I think that's pretty great. Kids probably wouldn't know her from TGD, but they might from her voice work on Monster High (not sure what age that's for, so I could be wrong); she's young, so we'll probably see more of her.

 

Simone Biles is listed as having ADHD, and I would expect a lot of kids know who she is!

 

Lots of actors/celebrities with dyslexia and other invisible disabilities, which I would think is very inspiring to kids with regards to school.

[gardenmom5]

I would strongly urge you to include multiple types of disabilities - not just ASD/ADHD.   (and not just sports, though that's what I linked.)

Pro Athletes Who Are Disabled | Famous People in Sports With Disabilities (ranker.com)

and in the coincidence category:
Jennifer Bricker. She was born with no legs and was given up for adoption because of her handicap.  Her adoptive parents were encouraging.  She soon learned to walk – and run – on her hands. She grew up fearlessly climbing trees and bouncing on the trampoline. From there she took up gymnastics and became a champion tumbler. Her inspiration was the US Olympic gymnastics champion, Dominique Moceanu.  (Her biological sister.)

[aaplank]

Shane Burcaw - very inspirational young man with SMA, author of several books, started a charity that supplies equipment for people with disabilities that insurance won't pay for, had a popular YouTube channel, Squirmy and Grubs, and much more. I highly recommend you check him out.

[Lady Florida.]

Lauren Potter from Glee has Down Syndrome.

[gardenmom5]

Thomas Edison - deaf in one ear, partially deaf in the other.  his teachers told his mother he was too stupid learn and she needed to send him to another school.  She never told him, just taught him at home.  He only found out about what his teachers said after her death (and much success on his part.)
A. G. Bell - likely had dyslexia

 

Amberly Snyder - rodeo barrel racer.  paraplegic (car accident), and got back in the saddle and continued in rodeos.

Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and Nobuyki Tsujii.  all blind from a young age, all play piano.

[MercyA]

Greta Thunberg is autistic.

[EKS]

There are a bunch of well known people with dyslexia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_dyslexia

[Drama Llama]

Harriet Tubman (not modern day but someone they have hopefully heard of) had TBI and epilepsy

Sonia Sotomayor has T1D

Tammy Duckworth has physical disabilities 

[Drama Llama]

2 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

Lauren Potter from Glee has Down Syndrome.

Also Jamie Brewer from American Horror Story

Zach Gottsagen from Peanut Butter Falcon

Daniel Laurie from Call the Midwife

Angela Bachelor -- Politician and City Councillor

Madeline Stuart -- model

Isabelle Springmuhl Tejada -- fashion designer

 

[Drama Llama]

Judy Heumann -- poltical activitist, teacher, author, physical disabilities from polio

Alex Zanardi -- Formula 1 racer, double amputee

Aaron Fotheringham -- skater who uses a wheelchair

Muhammad Ali  -- boxer with dyslexia

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, Drama Llama said:

Also Jamie Brewer from American Horror Story

Zach Gottsagen from Peanut Butter Falcon

Daniel Laurie from Call the Midwife

Angela Bachelor -- Politician and City Councillor

Madeline Stuart -- model

Isabelle Springmuhl Tejada -- fashion designer

 

I only watched the first few seasons of Call the Midwife and am not familiar with any of these people but this makes my heart sing. My soon to be six year old granddaughter has DS.

[Drama Llama]

2 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I only watched the first few seasons of Call the Midwife and am not familiar with any of these people but this makes my heart sing. My soon to be six year old granddaughter has DS.

Reggie is a wonderful character and Daniel Laurie is a great actor.

I can't remember if you are religious, but I thought I would share my very favorite prayer, by Gretchen Josephson, a poet with Down syndrome.  From her book Bus Girl

 

Lord, our God, you have seen

My soul,

You have heard me,

Talk to you.

When I am crying and upset

I have been through

Hard times,

Lord, you comfort me,

You wiped my tears

With a borrowed Kleenex.

God, you have seen my tears,

Silence comes over me,

I hear your voice

Calling me to come home.

And telling me how much

You care for me.

Amen.

[kbutton]

21 minutes ago, Drama Llama said:

I can't remember if you are religious

In that vein, Joni Erickson Tada is a paraplegic artist, though she really pivoted toward offering family camps for families affected by disabilities. She also had resources for churches who want to be inclusive.

[wintermom]

There are some great children's books, as well as an autobiography about Helen Keller. I found her book very inspiration.

Beethoven is also really inspiring, being able to compose and direct music while deaf.

There are also 2 Canadians who are very well-known in Canada, Terry Fox and Rick Hansen. Terry Fox lost a leg due to cancer, and ran a "Marathon of Hope" raising money for cancer research - running the equivalent of a marathon every day in an attempt to run across Canada (he didn't make it all the way before he died from lung cancer). His family still manage the charity, and there are annual Terry Fox charity runs across Canada.

Rick Hansen (From the song "Man in motion") is paralysed from the waist down, and he wheeled his chair around the world collecting money for head and spinal cord injury. Rick is still alive and raising money and awareness for head and spinal cord injury research and rehabilitation. 

https://terryfox.org/

https://www.rickhansen.com/

 

 

 

Edited July 5 by wintermom

[kbutton]

Example of a massive pivot with an unexpected diagnosis: https://news.virginia.edu/content/class-2020-marfan-syndrome-diagnosis-cant-keep-basketball-star-down

The pivot was to not die. She’s still trying to stay in sports with a different role.

 https://ekusports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/felicia-aiyeotan/1614#:~:text=Felicia Aiyeotan enters her first,head coach Robyn Scherr-Wells.

As much as we revere athletes overcoming disability to play, athletes should be applauded for prioritizing their health when they discover a life-threatening condition! And of course, some people get a diagnosis via autopsy (Flo Hyman, volleyball), sadly.

[KSera]

7 minutes ago, kbutton said:

As much as we revere athletes overcoming disability to play, athletes should be applauded for prioritizing their health when they discover a life-threatening condition!

Yes. Sometimes it’s difficult for people with disabilities to feel like the message out there is that they have to be some kind of inspiration. For many, just living their life and getting through day-to-day is an inspiration in itself.

[Kanin]

Thank you so much, everyone! If you think of anything else, please post again. 

[KungFuPanda]

My boy. I miss him. He made me a better person and everyone in his orbit learned something by being part of his life and bending just a little so there’s room for everyone. 

[TechWife]

Joe Biden stutters. They probably know who the President is.

ETA: I don’t know if they’ll know these - it probably depends on what music their parents listen to & what they talk about: 

Elton John has epilepsy. 
Celene Dion has stiff person syndrome. 
Marlee Matlin is deaf. 
Mandy Harvey is deaf. 
Lin-Manuel Miranda has dysgraphia.

Edited July 6 by TechWife

[MEmama]

Actors many teens will be familiar with:

Chloe Hayden: Australian actress who plays Quinni on Heartbreak High and is autistic, like her character. She has also written a book https://www.amazon.com/Different-Not-Less-neurodivergents-embracing/

Frida Argento, Swedish actress who is autistic and has ADHD, as does her character Sara on Young Royals

Billie Eilish: singer with Tourette Syndrome

Emma Watson: actress (Harry Potter) with ADHD

 

[Brittany1116]

Probably not well-known, but Nick Vujicic is an Australian motivational speaker born without arms or legs.