“I'M NOT YOUR INSPIRATION,THANK YOU.”
People with disabilities' are not a symbol of inspiration.
No one chooses to be born because if everyone in this world had a choice, no one would face disappointment and hardship. For many people, just living is difficult. But for others, day-to-life presents challenges that most people don’t face.
Successful people with disabilities, including athletes and even neighbors, often receive attention by serving as a source of inspiration for others. However, they may not want to mention the difficulties they face just to make everyone empathize with and admire their efforts.
Stella Young, a writer and comedian who used a wheelchair for most of her life, once said in a Ted Talk, "I'm not your inspiration, thank you." This emphasizes that people with disabilities just want society to treat them like any other human being, as colleagues, classmates, and neighbors who want to be a part of the community like everyone else.
The following story about Nick Vujicic, and others, aims to create momentum for society to see that people with disabilities have more abilities and potential than their physical limitations suggest. It also aims to appreciate them as "human beings" who value equality and have a positive attitude toward this world.
Nick Vujicic
Nick Vujicic was born in 1982 without arms and legs. He remembers being bullied and teased as a child, to the point where he tried to commit suicide. However, as time passed, he learned to accept himself and focus on his abilities. He learned to write with his toes, play soccer, and even surf. He eventually became a motivational speaker and founded a non-profit organization called “Life Without Limbs” to help people with disabilities and share his message of hope and perseverance.
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli is a musician, songwriter, and producer from Italy, whose musical achievements are outstanding, with over 75 million records sold.
Bocelli was born with congenital glaucoma, which has left him partially blind since birth.
Upon discovering his musical abilities, Andrea's parents arranged for him to learn music at a young age. He learned to play the piano until he was six years old, despite his visual impairments.
At 12, Bocelli was injured during a football match, resulting in a traumatic impact to his already compromised vision, leaving him completely blind. With his exceptional spirit, he decided to pursue his passion for music, particularly singing. Andrea became an internationally acclaimed singer, being one of the few artists who has taken classical music to the top of the pop music charts.
Bocelli has received numerous international awards, and there is even a beach named after him on the Adriatic coast.
Kyle Maynard
Kyle Maynard has learned to live life independently and freely, despite being born with a disability that left him with arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near the knees.
Maynard's abilities are remarkable. In 2012, he became the first quadruple amputee to climb to the summit of the 19,340 feets tall Mount Kilimanjaro, without the use of prosthetic legs. Four years later, in 2016, he reached the summit of Aconcagua, the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres, at 22,838 feet. Many of Kyle's accomplishments have been made to raise awareness for various causes, such as injured soldiers and children in need.
Currently, Kyle is a motivational speaker, author, entrepreneur, and mixed martial artist who has won ESPY awards.
Mallory Weggemann
In 2008, Mallory Weggeman went to the hospital for her third and final round of injections to help relieve the back pain caused by postherpetic neuralgia.
It is sad that the treatment was mismanaged and should have alleviated the pain that caused her body to become paralyzed, leading to Malory being wheelchair-bound and losing the ability to move from the waist down at just 18 years old.
Mallory was a competitive swimmer since childhood and decided not to let her disability take away from something she loved. She returned to the pool less than a year later. At the Can-Am Speedo Para Swim Meet in 2009, she destroyed her own world record. In the next four years, she broke the American record in 34 events and the world record in 15 events.
Mallory is now a 12-time world champion and two-time Paralympic gold medalist from the London 2012 Games. She continues to travel the world to compete in swimming and inspire audiences with her story of resilience.
Muniba Mazari
Muniba Mazari has had to use a wheelchair after a severe car accident caused a serious spinal cord injury.
Mazari discovered her artistic talent during several months of her recovery. To cope with her despair, she drew portraits expressing her identity. Mazari's Unique and vibrant style immediately caught people's attention. She eventually became a highly sought-after artist, working on various projects in her home country of Pakistan and abroad.
As her reputation grew due to her outstanding artwork and distinct story, Mazari began to use her voice to inspire and move people toward human values. She has received numerous international awards for her work over the years and became the first Pakistani UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.
Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) at 21 while still a student at Cambridge. His doctors initially gave him only two years to live, but he lived with the disease for over five decades.
Hawking was one of the most renowned physicists in the world, holding the prestigious position of theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author, and research director at the Center for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge.
His most famous book, “A Brief History of Time,” has become one of the best-known books in science/ and he was also one of the few physicists and researchers of his time who crossed over into popular culture.
Hawking was confined to a wheelchair for many years and communicated through a speech-generating device that he controlled with one cheek muscle. He continued to conduct scientific research, publish, and lecture. His contributions to the field were numerous and included groundbreaking theories in physical cosmology. He received almost fifteen major awards, many of which he received long after his body was immobilized by ALS.
Hawking passed away in 2018 at the age of 76.
Stevie Wonder
Because he was born six weeks premature, the blood vessels in Stevie Wonder's eyes did not develop properly. The oxygen-rich atmosphere in the hospital incubator caused a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, which prevented the growth of his eyes and caused nerve damage. Despite being blind from birth, Stevie showed musical talent at a young age. He was identified as a prodigy and signed with his first record label at the age of 11. He recorded more than 30 top ten hits in the United States, including famous songs such as "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," "Superstition," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," and "I Just Called to Say I Love You."On top of all his hit songs,he has won over 25 Grammy Awards.
Wonder has also spent many years in politics. He was a key advocate for making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday in the United States. In 1985, he was honored by the United Nations for his stance against apartheid in South Africa. In 2009, he was nominated to be a UN Messenger of Peace for his years of political activism.
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease when he was 29, after gaining worldwide fame from his roles in the “Back to the Future” films and the television series “Family Ties''. Despite being told he should retire, Fox continued to act. Over the next ten years, he delivered many successful performances, including in “Spin City” and “The Good Wife.” In addition to his acting career, Fox has been an advocate for Parkinson's disease research, and established the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in 2000.
People with disabilities are often seen as disadvantaged simply because they are different. The Avengers emphasize "equality,” and we believe in the potential of people. Anyone can be a hero and succeed at work.