Overcoming Disability

Many people who are physically challenged have accomplished much. This proves that they are not "handicapped." Confined to wheelchairs, successful careers have been forged by Bob Sampson and Stephen Hawking. Despite Sampson's muscular dystrophy, he has earned a law degree and has worked for United Airlines for more than thirty years. Stephen Hawking is most famous for his book A Brief History of Time. Unable to speak, Hawking's voice synthesizer allows him to dictate his …

…how well they see. Although hearing impairment struck Ludwig Van Beethoven and Marlee Matlin it did not stop them from developing their talents. Already a successful composer, many of Beethoven's most powerful pieces were written after he became deaf. Similarly, Matlin has had excellent acting roles in movies, plays, and television programs. Indeed she won an Oscar for Children of a Lesser God. She encourages and inspires many other hearing-impaired actors to develop their ability.