National People

There are many people in the United States that have had an impact on the Disability Rights Movement and the Disability Community. It is beyond measure what they have contributed to the improvement of attitudes, social justice, policies, and laws for people with disabilities. Some of these are individuals that worked within their own community or area of interest, others have worked at a national level to heighten awareness and bring about societal change.

Past Disability Advocates

• Helen Keller (1880-1968)
  • Helen Keller Wikipedia History
• Ed Roberts (1939-1995)
  • Ed Roberts Wikipedia History
• Evan Kemp, Jr. (1937-1997)
  • Evan Kemp, Jr. Obituary
• Paul Hearne (1950-1998)
  • Paul Hearne Obituary
• Justin Dart (1931-2002)
  • Justin Dart Wikipedia History
  • Justin Dart Obituary
  • Justin Dart Memorial Service
  • 1998 Medal of Freedom - Rachel Hurst comments
  • 2001 Interview and article on Justin Dart
  • 2002 Speech defending psychiatric survivors' movement
• Harley Thomas (1939-2007)
  • Harley Thomas Obituary
• Fred Fey (1944-2008)
  • Fred Fey Wikipedia History
• Judi Chamberlin (1944-2010)
  • Judi Chamberlin Wikipedia History
• Paul S Miller (1961-2010)
  • Paul S Miller Obituary
• Laura Hershey (1962-2010)
  • Laura Hershey Website
• Paul K. Longamore (1964-2010)
  • Paul K. Longamore NPR Obituary
  • Paul K. Longamore LA Times Obituary
• Max Starkloff (1937-2010)
  • Max Starkloff Obituary
  • Max Starkloff on Wikipedia
• Katie Beckett (1978-2012)
  • Katie Beckett New York Times Obituary
  • Katie Beckett NPR Obituary
• Gordon H. Mansfield (1941-2013)
  • Gordon H. Mansfield Washington Post Obituary
  • Gordon H. Mansfield Obituary
• Marca Bristo (1953-2019) Obituary
  • Marca Bristo NYT Obituary
• Judith Heumann (1947-2023)
  • Judith Heumann DREDF Memorial
  • Judith Heumann WID Memorial

Some people have an impact on the disability community because they are well known (famous).

• Famous People with Disabilities from Disability World Magazine
• People who are Deaf from Wikipedia
• People who are Blind from Wikipedia

Presidents and Disabilities

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945)
  • At the age of 39, Franklin D. Roosevelt contracted polio and lost the use of both of his legs as a result. Though he relied on a wheelchair and leg braces for mobility, he often attempted to conceal this in public. 
• Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)
  • Teddy Roosevelt struggled with severe asthma and nearsightedness since he was a child. Additionally, he was partially blind in his left eye, likely due to a detached retina resulting from one of his boxing matches. 
• Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
  • Ever since he was a child, Abraham Lincoln had struggled with severe depression throughout his life, especially after devastating events, such as in the aftermath of the Second Battle of Bull Run and the deaths of close family members. 

More information about disability history and presidents can be found on the Rocky Mountain Human Services' website.

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