Throughout history, many inspiring people with disabilities have changed the world, from millionaire entrepreneurs and politicians to inventors and famous musicians.
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People with physical and mental health conditions have been making a positive impact on society for hundreds of years. Living with a disability hasn’t stopped these icons from overcoming every challenge and grabbing opportunities to make a difference.
Franklin D Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president of the USA from 1933 until his death in 1945, was a key influencer of global events. The Democratic Party member, who won a record four presidential elections, was the first American president with a physical disability after being diagnosed with polio in 1921, aged 39 – he lost the use of his legs. He relied on leg braces and a wheelchair for mobility, while undergoing hydrotherapy treatment in the naturally heated waters of Warm Springs, Georgia.
Leading the US population through the tough times of the Great Depression and World War II, he launched his New Deal domestic agenda to combat the nation’s worst economic disaster in history. He also established the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to research the prevention of infant mortality – an organisation still in existence today under its new name, the March of Dimes.
Steve Jobs
Among the most famous people with disabilities was Steve Jobs, the legendary philanthropist and CEO of tech giant Apple. The San Francisco innovator’s contributions to technology have shaped life for millions of people. After co-founding Apple in 1976, he led the business in developing products such as the revolutionary iPhone, iPod and iPad.
A pioneer in animated films, he established Pixar, selling the company to Disney for £5.7 billion. He was also a renowned philanthropist who supported many causes, including protecting the environment.
Jobs, who passed away in 2011, was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and struggled in school, before dropping out of college. However, this didn’t get in the way of his creativity, imagination and ability to become a proficient public speaker. Today, he’s regarded as one of the greatest innovators in history.
Harriet Tubman
Abolitionist and social activist Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery and helped others to regain their freedom in the 19th century. She managed an escape route known as the Underground Railroad, a secret system of safe houses across the US that helped enslaved people flee from the South to the North.
Born in 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland, to enslaved parents, she was horrifically injured at the age of 12 by a blow to the head, causing lifelong severe headaches and narcolepsy, which means the brain can’t regulate sleeping patterns. “Sleep attacks” can make someone fall asleep suddenly.
Despite her condition, Tubman led more than 300 enslaved people to freedom. She also worked as a spy, scout, guerilla soldier and nurse during the American Civil War for the Union Army in the 1860s, becoming the first African-American woman in history to serve in the military.
Albert Einstein
For influential scientist Albert Einstein, autism was never a barrier to being one of history’s most important innovators. Born in Germany in 1879, the theoretical physicist is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Today’s astronomers still use his work to improve their understanding of the world and his equation, E=MC2, is well-known globally.
Dubbed the Father of Relativity and one of the greatest scientists of all time, his achievements earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Surprisingly, as a child, Einstein wasn’t considered to be particularly bright and was academically poor through school and college, not starting to speak until he was seven years old.
Modern researchers have suggested his traits are associated with ADHD, dyslexia or autism spectrum disorder, especially his tendencies for intense focus and social challenges. He researched for the good of humanity, famously saying, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”
Alexander the Great
Known as the mighty conqueror, Alexander the Great, born in 356 BC in Ancient Greece, is one of history’s greatest military generals. He became ruler of Macedonia in 336 BC, aged 20, subsequently creating a mighty empire that spurred significant cultural changes in the Middle East, Egypt and parts of Asia. Constructing new towns and cities, including the Mediterranean port of Alexandria in Egypt, he created the mighty Persian Empire.
However, he passed away in 323 BC, aged only 32, having achieved more in his short reign than many others manage in a lifetime. Modern scholars studying his medical history believe the congenital condition, scoliosis, may have contributed to his demise. Causing curvature of the spine and diagnosed in childhood today, it can be related to other health conditions, including cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.
Considering Alexander rode thousands of miles across rough terrain on his famous black horse, Bucephalus, sleeping on the ground in basic tents centuries before beds for the disabled were invented, his physical feats become even more astounding.
Thomas Edison
Born in 1847 in Ohio, great inventor Thomas Edison developed the light bulb and then created a full electrical lighting system to support a whole city. He invented the phonograph, the motion picture camera, the projector and around 1,100 other items. He also headed the Naval Consulting Board in 1915 and the Science and Industry Committee to manage security concerns around World War I.
Edison was hearing impaired, being completely deaf in one ear and having limited hearing in the other, but worked tirelessly for 15 hours a day, eating only when his wife reminded him to do so! He passed away aged 84 in 1931, leaving his great inventions for future generations to enjoy.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Musical genius Ludwig van Beethoven, a composer, pianist, musical arranger and music teacher, was born in 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He composed some of the world’s best-known works including Moonlight Sonata, Für Elise and the Heroic Symphony. He was hearing impaired from an early age, but despite the condition worsening as he grew older, he wrote many memorable compositions, thanks to his sense of harmony and rhythm.
Between 1802 and 1827, when he passed away, his hearing impairment became severe, but he wrote a letter to his brother stating he felt his “artistic career should not stop at this time”. In later life, he wrote, “This is the mark of an admirable man: steadfastness in the face of trouble.”
There have been many other famous people with disabilities who have enriched the lives of others with their achievements. Proof, indeed, that there are no barriers to greatness!
