11 Famous People With Disabilities Who Changed the Impossible Into Possible

For some people, having physical limitations may be the end of everything. They will feel sorry for themselves, blame the unjust world, and may live on the mercy of others.

But not with these people. They had limitations but were able to turn impossible — even by the standard of normal people — into possible. For those who currently feel hopeless, the struggles of these people show that nothing is impossible as long as we keep trying and never give up.

Here are 11 famous figures with disabilities who were able to do extraordinary things.

1. Ludwig Van Beethoven

Who would have believed that a great composer like Beethoven was once considered not smart enough to play the violin by his teachers? But he didn't give up and composed 5 of the greatest symphonies of all time. Some were even done when he was already deaf.

He started losing his hearing at the age of 26 when he wrote Moonlight Sonata. After completely losing his hearing, he composed Für Elise. After writing Symphony No. 9, he conducted his own concerts.

Despite being deaf, Beethoven learned to hear the music that lies within him and became one of the greatest composers of all time. He said, “There are no obstacles for someone who has talent and loves what he/she’s doing.”

2. Marlee Matlin

Despite having lost her hearing since she was one and a half years old, Marlee always said that the only thing she couldn't do was to hear. In other words, he wanted to say that he could do anything else, whatever it was.

Her doctor advised her to attend a public school. With the help of a special program, she learned to adapt to live a normal life. She became the first and only deaf actress to receive an Academy Award.

3. Nick Vujicic

Do not judge a book by its cover. It seems that the adage would describe Nick Vujicic perfectly. He is one of the most famous motivators. If we only read the description, he is the same as most people. He has an economics degree, is married and has 2 children, he writes books, loves surfing, singing and playing golf.

What sets Nick apart from the average person is the fact that he does not have limbs.

One of Nick's most famous quotes is, “I don't need hands and feet. I only need Him.“

4. Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking is perhaps one of the most famous scientists of all time. He is also one of the most influential contemporary theoretical physicists of our time.

His disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, left him completely paralyzed. In addition, he also lost his ability to speak after the throat surgery.

But none of that stopped him from accomplishing extraordinary things. Apart from writing books and various scientific journals, he also speaks on numerous world stages and even stars in movies.

5. Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo was an artist from Mexico. She was well-known for her extraordinary self-portrait paintings.

She suffered from severe polio when she was 6 years old. This made one of her legs look thinner than the other. Her friends often make fun of her. To avoid the ridicule from her friends, she began to pursue dancing, swimming, soccer and even boxing.

As a teenager, she had a car accident which resulted in her being unable to get out of bed for months. During this period, she spent her time painting. Most of her paintings are self-portraits which are worth millions of dollars today.

6. Ray Charles

Ray Charles was a legendary musician who had received 12 Grammy Awards. When he was 7 years old, he lost his sight. He became depressed as a teenager because his mother passed away. He couldn’t eat, talk, and sleep.

After coming out of his depression, he felt like he could handle whatever was going on in his life.

Ray began producing his albums at the age of 17 and is currently the number 10 of Rolling Stone magazine's top 100 artists of all time.

7. Helen Keller

At the age of one and a half, Helen lost her sight and hearing abilities. But that did not dampen her enthusiasm to become a writer. She had written 12 books and more than 400 articles. She became the first deaf person to ever receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition, Keller was actively involved in politics fighting for the rights of women and workers.

Helen Keller was able to achieve success thanks to her unyielding character. She once said:

“When one door to happiness closes, another opens; but often we look too long at the closed door that we do not see the door that has been opened for us. "

8. Albert Einstein

Who doesn't recognize the genius of Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity? But did you know that he is autistic and dyslexic. He didn't speak until he was 3 years old. None of the teachers thought he would be successful. In middle school, he often skipped class and ended up not graduating. He was admitted to the Polytechnic in Zurich after two tries.

He once said that all people are geniuses. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will forever believe that it is stupid.

9. Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton lost her left hand to a shark attack while she was surfing as a child. But that didn't stop her from continuing to surf.

One month after the incident, she returned to the beach and surfed again. Two years later she won first place in the "Explorer Women's Division of the NSSA National Championships."

10. Richard Branson

Richard Branson is one of the richest men in the world and the fourth richest man in the UK. He became known for developing Virgin Records and many other technologically advanced companies.

But he is actually dyslexic, which is a learning disorder characterized by difficulty reading, writing, or spelling. Sufferers will have difficulty identifying spoken words and converting them into letters or sentences. But he uses these flaws to spur himself on to success.

11. Franklin D. Roosevelt

He is one of the most respected and remembered presidents of the United States in history. At the age of 39, after returning home from Canad vacation, he became paralyzed from the waist down. He suffered from this paralysis for the rest of his life.

But this paralysis did not stop him from doing many extraordinary things. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his efforts to mediate the Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905).

During his tenure, he also built 150 national forests, 51 bird farms, 5 national parks, 18 national monuments, and many more, in a public area of approximately 93 million hectares.

Summary

The stories above are just a small part of the stories that show that anyone, with any condition, can achieve things that are considered impossible as long as we are willing to try, don't give up easily, and do everything from the heart.

"Only the pure of heart can make a good soup."

- Ludwig Van Beethoven -

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