The disability community is diverse and full of talent, intellect, creativity, and innovation. Throughout history, disabled individuals have earned fame for innovations and inventions that not only benefit the disability community but also drive change and improve the lives of all individuals. Below are just some of the many famous people with disabilities who have made significant contributions to society.
Famous People With Disabilities
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist known for her bright and vivid self-portraits. She contracted polio at the age of 6 and was also in a car accident at 18. Many of her self-portraits depict her experience living with physical disabilities. (1907–1954)
Laura Bridgman
Laura Bridgman was the first deafblind woman to be formally educated in the United States. She lost her sight and hearing as a result of scarlet fever, which she contracted at the age of 2. Laura attended Perkins School for the Blind, where under the direction of Dr. Samuel Howe, she learned to read and write utilizing special tactile paper. (1829–1889)
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin is a deaf actress, author, and activist. She lost most of her hearing at 18 months old. In 1986, she became the first deaf actress to win an Academy Award for her performance in Children of a Lesser God. She has since been monumental in paving the way for more roles in Hollywood for deaf individuals. (b. 1965)
Hunter Woodhall
Hunter Woodhall is an American track-and-field athlete and Paralympian. He was also born with fibular hemimelia and underwent a double leg amputation at 11 months old. He won the gold medal in the Men’s 400 Meter T62 division at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. (b. 1999)
Eddie Ndopu
Ndopu is a South African disability activist, humanitarian, and author living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). He was also the first African disabled student to be accepted to Oxford University, where he graduated with a master’s in public policy. Ndopu is a global advocate appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). (b. 1990)
Rick Hoyt
Rick Hoyt was a triathlete, marathoner, and Ironman. Born with cerebral palsy, Rick participated in his first wheelchair duo race, pushed by his father, Dick, in 1977. The duo completed over 1,000 marathons, duathlons, and triathlons, including 32 Boston Marathons. They were also the first wheelchair duo to complete the Hawaii Ironman. A statue in honor of Rick and Dick Hoyt was built in 2013 near the start line of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. (1962–2023)
Ralph Braun
Ralph Braun is known as the “Father of the Mobility.” Ralph was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy in childhood. His desire for independence spurred him to develop the first battery-powered scooter and the world’s first wheelchair lift. He later founded BraunAbility, which continues to be the leading manufacturer of mobility products worldwide. (1940–2013)
Alice Wong
Alice Wong is a disabled activist, author, and community organizer. Wong was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). She is the founder of Disability Visibility Project, which seeks to amplify stories of individuals with disabilities through oral and written narrative. Her accolades include receiving the 2016 American Association of People With Disabilities Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award and inclusion in the BBC’s Top 100 Women in 2020. (b. 1974)
Edward V. Roberts
Ed Roberts is considered the father of the independent living movement for individuals with disabilities. Ed contracted polio at age 14, which resulted in him being paralyzed from the neck down and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. He became the first student with a significant disability and wheelchair user to attend UC Berkeley. Along with other disability activists, he helped to establish the Berkeley Center for Independent Living. In 1983, along with disability rights activist Judy Heumann, he co-founded the World Institute on Disability (WID), which works to spread the independent living movement worldwide. (1939–1995)
Simone Biles
Simone Biles is an artistic gymnast for the United States. She was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. She has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, making her the most decorated female gymnast in the world. She has also become an outspoken advocate regarding mental health, following her withdrawal from the 2020 Summer Olympic Games after developing the “twisties.” (b. 1997)
Judy Heumann
Judy Heumann was a disability activist and author, frequently known as the “mother” of the Disability Rights Movement. She contracted polio at 18 months old and became a wheelchair user thereafter. She became the first wheelchair user to be a teacher in the state of New York, following a lawsuit after she was denied a teaching license because she failed the medical exam due to her inability to walk. In 1977, Judy led the 504 Sit-In in San Francisco, a 26-day protest that led to the establishment of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Judy went on to serve in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, including being appointed by President Obama as the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State. (1947–2023)
Senator Tammy Duckworth
Tammy Duckworth is an Army veteran and American politician. While serving as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot during the Iraq War, her helicopter was hit by a grenade, resulting in her becoming the first female double amputee during the war. She then entered politics, where she served for two terms on Illinois’ Eighth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected in 2016 to the U.S. Senate. (b. 1968)
Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve was a Hollywood actor and director, most famously known for his role as Clark Kent/Superman in Superman. He received a British Academy Film Award, an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 1995, Christopher sustained a spinal cord injury while riding his horse, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. Following his accident, Reeve became an advocate for disability and spinal cord injury, founding his own foundation, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. (1952–2004)
Judi Chamberlin
Judi Chamberlin was a disability activist and author. She lived with depression and schizophrenia. As a result of her experiences in psychiatric wards, she became an advocate for humane mental health care for psychiatric survivors. Her book, On Our Own: Patient-Controlled Alternatives to the Mental Health System, was published in 1978 and has become a leading text in the Mad Pride Movement. She also founded the National Empowerment Center to empower people with lived experience with mental health challenges and trauma. (1944–2010)
Lenin Moreno
Lenin Moreno is an Ecuadorian politician and disability advocate. Moreno is a wheelchair user due to losing his ability to walk as a result of gun violence. He was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for his disability advocacy and served as the 46th president of Ecuador from 2017 to 2021. (b. 1953)
Farida Bedwei
Farida Bedwei is a Ghanian software engineer who lives with cerebral palsy. She is the co-founder of Logiciel, a technology company in Ghana. In 2013, Bedwei was named the most influential woman in business and government in Africa for the financial sector by South Africa’s CEO magazine. She is also an author and disability rights activist. (b. 1979)
Haben Girma
Haben Girma is a lawyer, disability advocate, and author. In 2013, she became the first Deafblind individual to graduate from Harvard Law School. In 2016, Girma was included on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Law and Policy. In 2019, she released her memoir, and she currently serves as a public speaker and consultant. (b. 1988)
Kyle Maynard
Kyle Maynard is an entrepreneur, athlete, author, and speaker. He was born with congenital amputation, a condition that results in an individual having no arms below the elbows and no legs below the knees. He learned to live independently early on without prosthetics. He became the first quadruple amputee to summit Mount Kilimanjaro without prosthetics. Maynard received an ESPN Espy Award for Best Athlete With a Disability in 2004. He penned a memoir called “No Excuses” and is founder of a No Excuses CrossFit gym in Georgia. (b. 1986)
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is a former American competitive swimmer. He lives with ADHD, depression, and anxiety. He is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 Olympic medals. Additionally, he has set 39 world records, including 29 individual and 10 relay records. He also holds 20 Guinness World Records. Since retiring from competitive swimming, Phelps has served as a fierce advocate for mental health support for athletes. (b. 1985)
Lydia X.Z. Brown
Lydia X.Z. Brown is a writer, disability advocate, public speaker, and attorney. They identify as autistic and are the founder and leader of the Autistic People of Color Fund in partnership with the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network. Brown serves as the director of public policy at the National Disability Institute. In 2013, Brown was named a Champion of Change by the Obama administration for their leadership within the disability community and their commitment to the promise of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). (b. 1993)
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