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every hurdle on their way. The physical disability is a hurdle to normal existence and a person has to
be mentally strong enough to overcome the barrier of his handicapped nature.

They are an inspiration to motivate that disability cannot restrict the rights of the person to exceI
in the fields that he may desire to. They are not superhuman, but despite being ordinary, they are
extraordinary. Here are some famous people with disabilities who have attained heights of success:

• Jim Abbott, a gold medalist at the 1988 Olympics, was born without a right
hand.

• Franklin Roosevelt was a polio patient. He used a wheelchair and stood with
the aid of steel leg braces.

• Stephen Hawking, perhaps the greatest scientist, was suffering from
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), popularly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease
that tampers with the nerves that control a body’s voluntary movements.

• Beethoven, the legendary music composer, was deaf during the composition
of 9th symphony.

• The famous Hollywood personality, Tom Cruise suffers from dyslexia, a
learning disability in which the brain alters the way the brain processes

written script.
• Alexander the Great suffered from epilepsy, but he tried to conquer the
world.

• Brian Grazer, popular producer of Hollywood movies, gives a vivid
description in his personal accounts of his struggle with dyslexia during

childhood. He had a tough time dealing with his learning disability. However,
he successfully overcame dyslexia and went on to produce some hit movies
including ‘Apollo 13’ and ‘A Beautiful Mind’.

• Ann Bancroft was a famous adventurer. She was the first woman to travel to the North Pole. She
had been honoured in the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She had a problematic childhood,
as she suffered from acute and prolonged dyslexia.

Name : Stephen Hawking
Profession : Astronomical physicist and mathematician

Disability : Motor neuron disease

Stephen Hawking is one of the greatest astronomical physicists of modern times. He developed motor
neuron disease which worsened with time and left him confined to the wheelchair. His speech, too,
got more slurred. Unfortunately, after an operation, he lost his ability to talk altogether. There was a

time when he could communicate only by spelling out words with the help of a person by raising his
eyebrow when someone pointed to the right letter. After some time, a specially designed computer

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