Famous People with Disabilities

This information was obtained from http://www.independenceinc.org/trivia.htm

Sarah Bernhardt: French actress (1844-1923) Disabled by a knee injury, her leg amputated in 1914, she
continued starring on stage until just before her death. She is regarded as France's greatest actress -- "The
Divine Sarah".

Beethoven: Composer: Was deaf when he composed his 9th symphony.

Winston Churchill: had a learning disability.

Walt Disney: had a learning disability.

Edison: Had a learning disability. He couldn't read until he was twelve years old and had a very difficult time
writing even when he was older.

Albert Einstein: Mathematician/Physicist: Had a learning disability and did not speak until age 3. He had a
very difficult time doing math in school. It was very hard for him to express himself through writing.

Goya: Spanish painter (1746-1828): At age 46, an illness left him deaf. He went on to create the most
famous Spanish art of the 19th century.

Alexander Graham Bell: had a learning disability.

Stephen Hawking: physicist/mathematician has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a
computer to speak.

Milton: English Author/poet (1608-1674): He became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous
epic, Paradise Lost.

George Patton: This World War II General had a learning disability.

Nelson Rockfeller, former Vice President: had a learning disability: dyslexia.

President Roosevelt: At age 39, his legs were paralyzed by polio. He became governor of New York state
and was elected president four times.

Harriett Tubman: Abolitionist (1830-1913): As a child she was struck by an overseer. The blow fractured
her skull and resulted in narcolepsy for the rest of her life. She rescued hundreds of slaves on the
underground railroad.

Werner Von Braun: had a learning disability and often flunked his math tests in high school.

George Washington: Had a learning disability. He could barely write and had very poor grammar skills.

Woodrow Wilson: U.S. President from 1913-1921. Had a learning disability -- was severely dyslexic.

Other famous people who have learning disabilities: Cher, Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, Greg Louganis,
Bruce Jenner, H.G. Wells (Thanks for this information from Eve Nichols, Learning Disabilities Association of
Ontario).

Famous people who are known or are thought to have had epilepsy: Charles Dickens, Neil Abercrombie,
Danny Glover, Margaux Hemingway, Tchaikovsky, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Alfred Great, William
Pitt, Napoleon, Byron, de Moupassant, Edward Lear, Handel, Berlioz, Paganini, Vincent Van Gogh, Tony
Lazzeri, Gary Howatt and British marathon runner Alan Blinston.

Famous people who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Robin Williams and "Magic"
Johnson.

Although not all these famous people have been "officially diagnosed," they have reportedly
exhibited many of the signs of ADD, ADHD, LD, or other disability.