Top Three Extraordinary:Prominent Disabled Citizens and Their Contributions

Disabilities are common and natural; they come in all forms and affect millions of people from all over the world. Some are afflicted by a mental disability, others by physical but we all know it is a common occurrence that has yet to be cured. Breakthroughs in medicine have shown us the problem that causes many disabilities but little has been done to cure some of these dreaded conditions. There are mental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and blindness while others might be born with a physical limitation such as the inability to walk or missing appendages. Any one of these conditions along with the thousands of other limitations that humans have had over the course of time has not prevented the following individuals from being major contributors to their fields. In fact, the following human beings are some of the most respected and well-known people the world has ever known.

Vincent Van Gogh- Mental Illness

Van Gogh was a Dutch painter that rose to prominence during the middle of the 19^th century. Though his time on this planet was limited (he died at the tender age of 37) his contributions to the field of art are noteworthy. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest painters the world has ever seen and has contributed to the foundations of what we know as modern art. He only painted for 10 years but managed to produce 900 paintings and 1100 drawings. His work currently stands as some of the most expensive works of art. He is on the list because he suffered from severe depression which caused a mental illness and had to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 1889. Over time his condition only worsened and in 1890, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest. He died only a few days later reciting the words “the sadness will last forever”.

Ludwig Van Beethoven- Deafness

The next influential figure to make the cut is Ludwig Van Beethoven. He is widely regarded

as one of the greatest composers in history. Beethoven gave his first public performance at the young age of eight and went on to study in Vienna under the guidance of another great composer (Mozart). Ludwig became a household name by his mid-twenties and was known for his unpredictable improvisations. Unfortunately, Beethoven began to lose his hearing in 1796 at the age of 26. Despite this adversity he created some of his greatest work of music after losing his hearing. His works are widely known all over the world and he managed to permeate the cultural zeitgeist for centuries to come. Beethoven died in 1827 at the age of 57 and created beautiful music having been deaf for the last 25 years of his life.

Stephen Hawking-Motor Neuron Disease

Stephen Hawking is a well known British theoretical physicist, whose career spans over 40 years. He is known for his books on the origin of time and his public appearances have made him an academic celebrity. In 2009 Hawking was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom which is the highest civilian award in the United States. Hawking suffers from motor neuron disease which is a rare condition where parts of the nervous system become severely damaged. This causes progressive weakness and muscle wasting. The condition began when he was studying at Cambridge. One day Hawking lost his balance and fell down a flight of stairs. The incident occurred when he was only 21 years old and the doctors said he would not survive more than two or three years. With time he gradually lost the use of his appendages and was almost paralyzed completely in 2009.

Though two out of the three laureates on this list are no longer with us, their contributions to the field of the arts are more than noteworthy and Hawking continues to be an inspiration to us all. These three individuals show us that there are no limits to this race and that we can accomplish what we set our minds to. Years have passed and advancements in technology are making it easier for us to nurture our handicapped family members and citizens. Companies focus their efforts on making sure we get from point A to point B with our disabled loved ones. When it comes to accessible travel or accessible van rentals, there is one company that is up to the task of ensuring we get to conferences, sporting events and family vacations safely and on time. Wheelers Van Rentals offer a variety of services including Florida Wheelchair Van Rentals to make sure you never miss another conference or lecture again. Florida Wheelchair Van Rentals by Wheelers is brought to you with free airport pick up and curbside delivery.

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