5 Famous People who overcame their disability

I often hear people with disabilities saying that they want to do a certain big thing but they won’t even try, because they know they won’t succeed. But have you even tried? Maybe there is a way to do it, or maybe there is something else you can do which is very much related to your first plan. Where would the world be if everyone did the same? You might say that the others are not disabled so everything is easier for them. So I picked 5 disabled personalities who will live forever in the world’s memory for their amazing achievements. What if they would have had this “I can’t” attitude? The world would be poorer for sure. So next time you hesitate, think of these awesome people and try again!

Stephen Hawking (born in 1942)

It’s almost impossible to never hear of Stephen Hawking on the internet or on TV. He is an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge and he is famous for discussing his own theories and cosmology in general.

Hawking has a motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's Disease, a condition that has progressed over the years. He is almost entirely paralysed and communicates through a speech-generating device.

As a science enthusiast myself, I think this man is amazing. And the most important, he never gave up on his studies and his dream of making groundbreaking discoveries, despite his condition which got worse and worse as the years passed.

Since the 1990s, Hawking has accepted the mantle of role model for disabled people, lecturing and participating in fundraising activities. At the turn of the century, he and eleven other luminaries signed the "Charter for the Third Millennium on Disability" which called on governments to prevent disability and protect disabled rights.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking

http://www.hawking.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/stephenhawking

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

We move on to those who are no longer on Earth, but only in spirit and memory. Not many know that the famous musician whose symphonies are still listened every day all over the world, was actually deaf. He gradually lost his hearing, starting from the age of 30, and by the last decade of his life he was totally deaf.

Despite his loss of hearing, he continued to compose, many of his most admired works actually dating from the time when he was completely deaf. There are lots of explanations for his ability to still compose wonderful music despite his complete lack of hearing, but I guess he just found a way to adapt and keep doing what he loved the most.

So next time you hear the Ninth Symphony, remember that disability is not an impediment to doing what you love, but just a challenge you can overcome!

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven
http://www.biography.com/people/ludwig-van-beethoven-9204862

Frida Khalo (1907 - 1954)

The famous Mexican painter is well known for her self-portraits and her work has always been an emblematic of Mexican national and indigenous tradition and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.

She had numerous health issues, part of which were caused by a bus accident in 1925. The bus she was riding collided with a trolley car. She suffered serious injuries as a result of the accident, including a broken spinal column, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. She recovered from the serious injuries, but never fully.

Kahlo also contracted polio at age six, which left her right leg thinner than the left; she disguised this later in life by wearing long, colorful skirts. It has been conjectured that she was born with spina bifida, a congenital condition that could have affected both spinal and leg development.

Despite her situation, she never gave up on painting, instead she managed to transcend her pain and express it in her paintings.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo
http://www.fridakahlo.com/

Bethany Hamilton (born in 1990)

Bethany is an American professional surfer who lost one of her arms in a shark attack back in 2003. While most people doubted she would be back to surfing, she never allowed her accident to stand in the way of her passion – surfing. She wrote about her experience in the 2004 autobiography Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. In April 2011, the feature film Soul Surfer was released; it was based on the book and additional interviews. She has appeared on many television shows since the loss of her arm.

Her and her husband, Adam Dirks, are competing as a team on one of my favorite TV shows, The Amazing Race, which has the final episode this Friday. They made it to the final 4 and I’ve been rooting from them from the very beginning, really hoping they will win this. Bethany was amazing through the whole competition and rocked all the challenges despite her having one arm. I always try to adapt to the everyday tasks, but even I was blown away seeing her finding her own ways to do things which are sometimes hard to do even for people with two arms. And what I loved the most about their team, I’ve never seen them fighting or arguing. One of my favorite all time teams! Best of luck on Friday, Bethany and Adam!

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethany_Hamilton
http://bethanyhamilton.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SurferBethanyHamilton

Nicholas James "Nick" Vujicic (born in 1982)

Nick is an Australian motivational speaker and an Evangelist preacher born with a rare disorder called “tetra-amelia syndrome”, which basically means that he is missing all of his four limbs. Despite his severe condition, he chose to have a fulfilling life and motivate everyone else to do the same. He has a double bachelor degree in accounting and financial planning and he is the founder of the non-profit organization Life Without Limbs.

Vujicic promotes his work through television shows and through his writing. His first book, Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life was published by Random House in 2010. He markets a motivational DVD,Life's Greater Purpose, a short documentary filmed in 2005 highlighting his home life and regular activities. The second part of the DVD was filmed at his local church in Brisbane – one of his first professional motivational speeches. He markets a DVD for young people titled No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!.

He managed to look beyond his disability and lead a fulfilling life, while helping others to overcome their own obstacles and I think that's an amazing way of spending your life.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Vujicic
http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/
https://www.facebook.com/NickVujicic

Dealing with the lack of accessibility when going out

We all know the pain of having to deal with old buildings which have no ramps or adapted restrooms. The world is slowly trying to make everything accessible for everyone, in some parts of the world less than in others but I had noticed an improvement even in Romania. However, we can’t always get it our way. I’ve heard people saying they gave up on going out because everywhere they go, there are stairs and it’s frustrating having someone to help all the time. Getting away from your house as often as you can is something which will improve your confidence, social skills and lifestyle altogether a lot, so it’s important to find a way to deal with this issue. I have a few recommendations which may not work for everyone but I hope they help.

Now for the transport: You might already have an adapted car and a driver’s license so we got this out of the way. Or you have a friend who will pick you up. I pick up my friends too if they are in the way to the place where I want to go so that’s not necessarily a huge favor. And it’s always nice to all get there at the same time or at least get there in a group. If you decide to take a taxi, make sure the car will be able to transport you and your wheelchair/wheel walker/crutches or whatever you are using to move around. I often have drivers telling me they can’t pick me up because my stroller won’t fit in the back so it’s good to let them know in advance. Lastly, if you want to just take public transport, most countries have the buses and metro lines adapted, with elevators and all. Make sure that it’s all accessible, look it up on websites and you should be all fine.

Now for the location, one thing you can do is plan an event with your friends and make sure you choose the place. Or make sure you tell the friend who is supposed to organize the event that it is preferable that the place has good accessibility. There are tons of websites which will filter the inaccessible buildings for you so you can choose out of the ones you have full freedom with. The websites depend on each country, so just do a quick Google search looking for the key words: “accessible restaurants/bars/whatever place you want to go to in [your city]” (for cinemas, theatre and show venues, they should have this info clearly stated on their website and they’re usually fully accessible). Depending on where you live, this may not be too successful. Then the only thing you can do is look for options and then look the locations up online. It’s very much likely that these places all have websites, with photos and all. You should easily see if there are any stairs or if there is a ramp. You can even e-mail them and kindly ask them to give you more information. I always do this and I’ve never had issues.

If everything else fails and you will have to be carried or helped up stairs and inaccessible places and you are with friends or family, please remember that these people love you unconditionally and you should not feel ashamed or that you are a burden to them. If they want you around, they appreciate your presence there and would rather help you get around than not having you there. Just act casual about it and don’t overthink it. Sometime in life, they might need your help too one way or another, even if it is not of physical nature, like asking for an important advice or a favor. It is the same thing and should NOT make you want to stay at home instead of having some quality time with your loved ones.

Whatever you do, don’t forget that your social life and time spent with the people you love should not be affected by your physical impairment. You can always find a way around it. And ignore the stares you might get from others. Just imagine if blatant ignorance was visible, then we would all have something to look at too! The only ones that care is the ones who care about you and vice-versa. Strangers are people you will most likely never see again.

Seeing your situation realistically without demonizing it

I’m bad with titles but I hope you got the idea. Each and every one of us sees their life and situation in a certain way and we often tend to exaggerate it in a direction or another.

There are the people who see it as a blessing and a gift. Sure you would think this is a great way of dealing with it, but this way of thinking often leads the person into feeling superior and “special”. As I was saying before, no we are not special. This is our reality and it is the same reality around everyone else, we just do things differently. Our goal is to have a life as close to normal as possible. If you consider yourself some sort of elite and then complain about not having friends and blaming it on your disability, you may think again about it and reconsider your attitude towards others. We are all equal, we are not gifted, we are not blessed; at least not from this point of view. You may be gifted and blessed with a great sense of humor, musical talent, a high IQ, but not blessed with a medical condition. I’m sorry for being bluntly honest, but this way of thinking and acting won’t bring along anything good on the long run.

Then there are the people (most of the people) who are horribly unhappy with their situation and spend their lives crying and being depressed. It is normal to feel this way at times, but being always upset over it won’t make it better. It doesn’t help you or anyone around you. It makes you become unmotivated and you will literally waste your life just sitting and pitying yourself. Sure we all wish we didn’t have to deal with this, but it is what it is. Better think of all the things you can actually do? There is something for everyone, especially in this day of technology. Focus more on your family and job/school, get a hobby, learn a new skill (lots of online free learning websites for anything you can possibly think of). These things will make you feel like you are truly accomplishing something and not waste your life thinking of how your life would be if you were healthy.

I will at some point in the future make a big blog post regarding the many disabled people who changed the world one way or another. They found their way in life and if they could, then why couldn’t you? To give a fast example now, you all heard of Stephen Hawking. He’s brilliant and has achieved so so much. You don’t need a healthy body to reach the sky.

Also, no matter how rare or impossibly to fix disability you have, never stop checking the news in the medical field. The progress is so fast and mind blowing, in a few years we will be able to fix almost anything. Join communities, subscribe to websites, check news. Maybe the day will come. Never stop hoping and try to keep a realistic view on the things.

Look at yourself the way you would like others to see you

I said at the beginning of this blog, it’s all about the attitude. People might see at first sight a person in a wheelchair. Have a conversation with them and after a few minutes, they might just see in you a very awesome friend they would love to hang out with more.

The fact is, we are all different. Some of us have blue eyes, other have them brown or green, some are taller, others are shorter and the list could go on forever. Why not try to see the disability just as one of the things which makes each individual unique? I see people talking about it as the biggest curse in their life and not allowing them to enjoy life, and I see the people on the other extreme, who see it as some sort of blessing or a gift which makes them “special” – which is also bad sometimes, as these people tend to become solitary, since they are too “special” to be around other people. NO. We’re all NORMAL, in our own way. Normality is an abstract thing, and it’s different from individual to individual. Don’t make it a HUGE deal, either bad or good. It’s not a big deal, it’s like having blue eyes or blonde hair. It’s just who you are.

Also, when you meet someone new, DON’T talk over and over again about your condition. Talk about your interests, your hobbies, favorite TV shows, music, anything you would actually want to share with that person. Act natural, do small talk until you are being asked about it. Then kindly answer and give some background, but don’t turn it into a never ending talk. Not only that they might actually start looking at you in a different way (which you don’t want, if you want to have a normal social life), but some could even start feeling uncomfortable not knowing what to say. Usually, when I’m being asked about my own condition, after telling them briefly, I add “oh but don’t worry, it won’t ever stop me from doing anything I want to do.” I see people tend to become depressed after hearing stuff like that, and I wouldn’t want to have in front of me someone who’s depressed over my own issues. So they smile with me and then the conversation carries on changing the subject.

I like to think that none of my close friends ever considered me “the girl with the wheel walker”. People tend to even forget about it. However, make sure you let them know subtelly about your limits. For example, my boyfriend knows that I can’t go to a certain bar with him because it’s deep underground and has some horrendous stairs I can’t descend. But considering that some things are obvious, this shouldn’t be a problem. Just smile and let them know. Hey, there are lots of people who are lactose intolerant and can’t eat certain things, and let’s not forget the allergies some have, or even strange phobias, like fear of balloons! There’s nothing embarassing in not being able to do a certain thing or be in a certain place. Everyone has this issue at some point in their life, don’t let this make you scared of going out or being in a social environment. There are lots of things anyone can do.

In the end, I would just like to add that there are always exceptions: narrow-minded people who stare and refuse to see you as you are, and would rather resume at your physical condition… let’s say that they have a “twisted” view of what normality is. Those people are not worth to worry about, so carry on, enjoy life and let them live in their own little world filled with perfectly abled people. The will eventually end up being all alone and sad and wonder where they went wrong when they chose the people they thought they needed around. You don’t need those people, that’s a sure thing.

If anyone gets the movie refference, just “Smile and wave!” :)