Greater than Life – I’m Specially Abled

Today, the 3rd of December is globally known as the International Day of People with Disabilities. The world is already a battlefield, and the people with disabilities are the warriors. What we can accomplish with mere usage of our mental and physical strength is a tedious task for our warriors. We have to uplift their spirits to make them face the challenges head-on. Today fifteen percent of the total population is disabled (some form of disability), and eighty percent of this portion resides in developing countries. Disabilities can be both visible and hidden when we look at a person. History reveals that many great people have some type of disability in them, or rather we can say that people with some disabilities have made their mark on the world. If they can make their name, why can’t you!? Let’s take a look at some of these great personalities.

Albert Einstein

Who doesn’t know the world-renowned scientist when it comes to physics? Albert Einstein had difficulty in learning, and he hated to write down his thoughts as it was a very hectic task for him. Most children start to speak at the age of 12-15 months, but Albert couldn’t speak until the age of 3. This specially-abled personality is known as the father of the theory of relativity.

Stephen Hawking

After Albert Einstein, the only name to come in the field of science is Stephen Hawking. ‘A Brief History of time’ is one of the most famous books written by him. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, due to which he was confined to a wheelchair. He had a special computer on that same wheelchair which enabled him to converse with the audience.

Franklin D Roosevelt

He was popularly known as FDR and was one of the best presidents America has ever had. Franklin D Roosevelt lost his walking ability to a disease known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome at a very early age. Due to this, he was confined to a wheelchair permanently. He led his country in World War 2 and stood victorious.

Nick Vujicic

Nick was born with no limbs. He has a rare disability known as Tetra-amelia syndrome, also termed phocomelia. Without having limbs, he graduated and married Kanae Miyahara and is a happy father of four. He is now a renowned motivational speaker whose journey is an inspiration to many with disabilities.

Peter Dinklage

Peter Dinklage was one of the reasons for the success of the American series game of thrones, in which he played the character of Lord Tyrion Lannister. Peter brought the character to life and is celebrated as one of the most successful celebrities in Hollywood. He is diagnosed with dwarfism, which can be a hurdle in the race to become an actor but Peter showed it just takes will to overcome any disability and reach the goal.

Conclusion

The world doesn’t have people with disabilities. It has people with abilities that normal human beings cannot comprehend. These specially-abled people are our motivation, and we must keep them highly motivated. They are not born different! They are born special! Beautifully quoted by Alexander Den Heijer, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” We need not fix the people, but we need to work on the surroundings around them, which will boost their morale. By doing so, we can see how well our specially-abled can uplift the community and reach greatness. You can’t be next Einstein, Hawking, or Dinklage, but you can be the next you in the greatest way possible. Our specially-abled warriors are themselves greater than life. They need to be cherished and loved more than ever.