ANDERSON Harry, 1952-present, (attention deficit disorder),
Actor who played Judge Stone on
Night Court has attention deficit disorder and has managed to con and charm his way through school. He had an extraordinary memory and could remember anything at 16. He was Valedictorian but, he could barely read to rehearse his lines. He is also a magician and writer.
ARISTOLE,384-322 BC, (epilepsy),
Greek philosopher/scientist. Aristotle was a student of Plato. In 343 BC he began tutoring the young Alexander the Great. In 334 BC he lectured at a public gymnasium called the Lyceum. He is considered one of the two great philosophers of antiquity along with Plato. He wrote on many subjects from biology to astronomy to rhetoric and literary criticism.
BELAFONTE Harry, 1927-present, (learning disability),
American singer and motion picture actor who became best known for his interpretation of West Indian Calypso music, popularized Asian and African songs as well as American ballads and spirituals.
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BELL Alexander Graham, 1847-1922, (learning disability),
An American inventor and educator. Best known for his invention of the telephone.
BONAPARTE Napoleon [Napoleon I], 1769-1821, (epilepsy),
French Emperor who crowned himself as emperor of France. He was the greatest military genius of his time and perhaps the greatest general in history. He stood 5 foot 2 inches tall which is about average for Frenchman of his time.
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BONERZ Peter, 1938-present, (speech impairment),
American actor and director of episodes of
Bob Newhart Show 1972-1978, director of
It’s Your Move 1984.
BRIDGMAN Laura, 1829-1889, (deaf and blind),
First deaf-blind student ever educated in the United States. She became deaf and blind due to scarlet fever. In 1837 she came to the attention of Samuel G. Howe - founder and director of Perkins School for the Blind. This is where she learned to read, write and do math. She became a good seamstress and learned to sew on a sewing machine. She could deftly thread a needle with her tongue.
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BRODERSON Morris, 1928-present, (hearing impairment),
Artist who is known as a noted digressive painter. He gained national recognition with the painting of
The Chicken Market (1960). Deaf at birth and educated in California. Many of his themes are from his travels.
BUDDHA [Siddhartha Gautama],563BC-483BC, (epilepsy),
Indian philosopher and founder of Buddhism c.528 BC. Renounced world at age 29 to search for solution to human suffering. The word Buddha means Enlightened One.
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BURKE Chris, 1965-present, (developmental disability)
Actor. Chris was a gentle happy child who loved to meet people. He would watch TV and learn the lines. Chris enrolled in a theater class for disabled students held near his school in Pennsylvania. For two years he learned about costumes improvisation and set design. His work in theater also improved his speech and reading skills. At 21 he started looking for work. At a workshop he worked with no talking allowed. His mother came to meet him there and was appalled. He never worked there again. The director Michael Braverman was seeking young actors with Down Syndrome for a TV pilot. Would Chris like to try out for the part. The pilot
Desperate aired on ABC in September 1987. In 1989 he had the main role in the series
Life Goes On. The show ran until spring of 1993.
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BURTON Richard, 1925-1984, (epilepsy),
Welsh actor who won Tony Award in 1961 for
Camelot. Nominated for seven Oscars. Known for his Shakespearean -stage performances and his collaborations with actress Elizabeth Taylor to whom he married twice.
CALLAHAN John, 1951-present, (quadriplegia),
Cartoonist and activist. Many of Callahan's cartoons view ordinary situations from disabled people's perspective. In a series of cartoon strips called
How to Relate to Handicapped People, he spoofs the awkwardness many people feel when meeting a person with a disability. He also pokes fun at doctors, lawyers, criminals and cops, movie stars and politicians. His autobiography
Don't Worry He Won't Get Far on Foot!,
CANNELL Stephen, 1943-present, (learning disability)
American television producer, writer, creator and producer of many successful series.
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CAPOTE Truman, 1924-1984, (communication disorder),
Author of
Breakfast at Tiffany's filmed 1961. American writer who made an impressive literary debut at 24 with his novel
Other Voices Other Rooms.
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CEASAR Julius, 100-44 BC, (epilepsy),
Roman General and Statesman. Julius Caesar's seizures are well documented. He told others that during his seizures he received messages from the Gods.
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CHARLES Ray [Ray Charles Robinson], 1930-present, (visual impairment),
Singer and composer. Blind by age seven due to glaucoma.
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CHER [Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre], 1946-present, (learning disability)
Her success in music, movies, television, and on stage over nearly four decades qualifies her as one of the most enduring entertainers of our time.
CLAIBORNE Loretta, 1953-present, (developmental disability)
Champion long-distance runner. First person with mental retardation to serve on the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. She is believed to be the first person with mental retardation ever awarded an honorary doctoral degree.
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CLARKE John Louis, 1881-1970, (hearing impairment),
His Indian ancestry and environment led him to his fame in wood carving. His father was half Blackfeet Indian and known as Chief Stand Alone and his mother was full blooded Blackfeet and known as First Kill. At 2 years of age he had a severe attack of scarlet fever which left him deaf. He liked to carve in cottonwood and his favorite two animals to carve were bears and goats. He also modeled in clay, painted in oil and watercolor and drew in crayon and charcoal. He was known among American sculptors as
The Bowie Knife Sculptor. His best medium was wood.
CLINTON William Jefferson, 1946-present, (hearing impairment),
42nd President of the United States wears hearing aids.
CONON Richard, 1915-1996, (speech impairment),
American author who wrote
The Manchurian Candidate 1959,
Prizzi's Honor 1982.
CORNFORTH John Warcup, 1917-present, (hearing impairment),
He was a distinguished scientist and joint Nobel Prize winner for chemistry (1975) was profoundly deaf from otosclerosis for most of his life. He received his bachelor of science degree in 1937 and his Master's in 1938. His first research in Australia was on natural produces from plants, while employed at Mill Hill Research Laboratories 1946 to 1962 he developed his basic approach to stereochemistry of enzyme processes. Stereochemistry deals with three dimensional architect of molecules an it is in biochemistry applications where he made his most significant contributions. In 1965 he was jointly awarded the CIBA Medal of the Biochemistry Society. In 1968 he received the Davy Medal of the Royal Society. He held two professorships, associate professor of molecular science at Warwick (1965-1971), and visiting professor of chemistry at Sussex (1971-1975). He received many honors and awards in addition to the Nobel Prize. He communicated by lip reading and writing , and he did not practice sign language.
CRUISE Tom [Thomas Cruise Mapother IV], 1962-present, (learning disability)
Actor. Born in Syracuse NEW YORK. His mother taught children who had dyslexia and other learning disabilities. She herself had dyslexia as did all her children. At age 11 his parents divorced and he and his sisters and mother lived in poverty in Kentucky. When he was 16 his mother remarried and his family moved to Glen Ridge NJ. He auditioned for a role in his school play and got it. Once he broke into movies other roles followed in quick succession. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996.
DAVIES Marion, 1897-1061, (speech impairment),
Early 20th century American silent movie actress who successfully made the transition to talkies despite her stuttering. Long-time companion of publisher William Randolph Hearst.
DAVIES Ray, 1944-present, (bipolar),
English singer. Lead guitarist for band formed with his brother Dave 1963
The Kinks.
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DA VINCI Leonardo, 1452-1519, (dyslexia) (epilepsy),
One of the greatest painters and most versatile geniuses in history. He was one of the key figures of the Renaissance era. He was trained as a painter but he had other interests that he dealt with over the years. Many of his inventions and scientific ideas were centuries ahead of his time.
DIDYMUS The Blind,313 398, (visual impairment),
Celebrated head of the catechetical school at Alexandria. Although he was a lyaman and had become blind at the age of 4 he memorized great sections of the scriptures and by means of secretaries dictated numerous exegetical works. He also distinguished himself in the school of Alexandria which he later headed by his proficiency in geometry and astronomy.
DISNEY Walt, 1901-1966, (learning disability),
American cartoonist, producer. Introduced Mickey Mouse in
Steamboat Willie 1928. Won 29 Oscars, Opened Disneyland 1955, creating family entertainment empire.
DOSTOYEVSKI Fyodor, 1821-1881, (epilepsy),
Russian author. Had three convulsive seizures as a child and complex partial seizures in adolescence. His seizures began with a feeling of ecstasy, followed by anguish, then convulsions. His characters had epilepsy in some of his writing. Wrote novels which were published after his death
Crime and Punishment 1886,
The Idiot 1887,
Brothers Karamazov 1912.
DRISCOLL Jean, 1966-present, (spina bifida),
Born in Wisconsin and attended a regular school. She could walk with braces but later required a wheelchair. After high school Jean entered her first road race using a makeshift wheelchair. After 5 miles and exhausted she quit. Soon afterwards she got a sponsor and a new wheelchair. Graduated from University of Illinois - BA in Speech Communication. She entered a wheelchair marathon in 1989 and won a place in the Boston Marathon. First person to win Boston Marathon six consecutive times. Won silver medal in 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona Spain.
EDISON Thomas, 1847-1931, (hearing impairment),
Prolific inventor who holds the record for obtaining the most U.S. patents. Inventor of the electric light bulb, phonograph, and the motion-picture projector. Due to scarlet fever Thomas Edison permanently damaged his hearing in both ears. He was known as the wizard of Menlo Park.
EINSTEIN Albert, 1879-1955, (learning disability),
Was one of the greatest scientists of all time. Best known for his theory of relativity.
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EISENHOWER Dwight D., 1890-1969, (learning disability),
34th President of the United States. Leader of the victorious Allied forces in Europe during World War II.
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EISENREICH Jim, 1959-present, (tourette syndrome),
Played baseball for the Minnesota Twins, later the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as the Philadelphia Phillies and more recently for the Florida Marlins.
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ERSKINE Carl, 1926-present, (autism),
American baseball player, pitcher for the Dodgers 1948-59. Threw two no-hitters 1942 and 1956.
