Christopher Ulmer is a passionate disability-rights advocate, former special education teacher, YouTuber, and the founder of the non-profit organization Special Books by Special Kids. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ulmer attended Upper Moreland High School before enrolling in Pennsylvania State University where he majored in media effects. He later received a master's degree in special education from the University... read full bio
Since coming to national attention on the second season of American Idol — where he was the unexpected runner up, only to become the biggest selling male artist the show has ever featured, Clay Aiken has evolved into a versatile and beloved popular entertainer. He has toured eleven times, written a New York Times bestselling memoir, sold more than six... read full bio
Clay Aiken is an American pop singer who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released in 2003. He released four more albums on the RCA label: Merry Christmas with Love, A Thousand Different Ways,... read full bio
Dartanyon Crockett, who was born with Leber's disease and grew up in a poor neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, has defied all expectations to become a Paralympic judo world champion. Due to the fact that Dartanyon's mother passed away when he was eight years old and his father battled a drug and alcohol addiction, wrestling was a crucial part of his... read full bio
Deidre Downs, who won the title of Miss America in 2005, is currently working as a national spokesperson for the Better Hearing Institute to raise awareness about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of hearing loss, particularly in children. Her goal is to persuade the 31 million people in the United States who suffer from hearing loss about the importance of... read full bio
Denzel Washington has earned fame and fortune, not to mention two Oscars. But Washington and his wife Pauletta are more proud of helping people make a difference. To that end the Washington’s are long-time members of The Brain Trust, which supports the research of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. For over five years... read full bio
In addition to Bob Kahn, who also co-developed TCP/IP, Vinton Gray Cerf is regarded as one of "the fathers of the Internet" and an American Internet pioneer. The National Medal of Technology, the Turing Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Marconi Prize, and membership in the National Academy of Engineering are just a few of the honorary degrees and... read full bio
Eddie Ndopu, who TIME Magazine called "one of the most powerful disabled people on the globe," is best known for his human rights activism in favor of putting disability justice at the top of the global development agenda. Eddie is a thought leader and a proponent of social fairness, sustainability and disability-based creativity. He is an award-winning and widely respected humanitarian,... read full bio
Ms. Kingsley is a devoted supporter of people with Down syndrome and a renowned lecturer on the topics of mental retardation and the rights of people with disabilities. She has committed her life to promoting inclusivity and spreading awareness as the loving mother of a kid with Down syndrome. Ms. Kingsley was appointed to the National Down Syndrome Congress's Board of... read full bio
Ezra Frech, a successful athlete and in-demand motivational speaker, was born without his left knee and shin bone, as well as with just one finger on his left hand. He also has congenital limb differences. Since he was 11 months old, Ezra has used a prosthetic leg and at the age of 4, he started using a running blade. When Ezra was... read full bio
Comedian Frank Miles, has thrilled Las Vegas audiences for over a decade with his feats as a juggler and magician, found himself with some unique new material, after being pronounced dead following a hang gliding accident. Most recently Frank brought attitude to an audition for Americas Got Talent. When emergency room doctors gave him a second chance at life, he... read full bio
A successful NFL coach and accomplished college football athlete, Gene Stallings is also a distinguished author and well-known advocator for the developmentally disabled. His diverse background in professional football certifies him to be one of the most informed and educated coaches of his time. Stallings success has earned him numerous awards and has been inducted into the College Football Hall... read full bio
Glenn McIntyre is a nationally renowned keynote speaker, trainer and consultant. McIntyre's trademark style of inspiring through problem solving is directly derived from his extensive knowledge of 504, ADA and Diversity issues. McIntyres life changed at an instant after he was hit by an impaired driver consequently leaving him a paraplegic. Nonetheless this passionate police officer continued his law enforcement... read full bio
Widely hailed as a pianist and vocalist both as a solo artist and with a variety of groups. Considered by many to be the premier exponent of the great New Orleans jazz and blues piano tradition, Henry Butler is equally respected for his versatile work as a composer and arranger in a broad range of genres, and as a... read full bio
Howie Seago manages the Shared Reading Video Outreach Project (SRVOP) which uses videoconferencing technology to encourage deaf and hard of hearing children to become interested in reading and to train their parents and teachers in how to read storybooks in sign language. Howie has a B.A. in Psychology and has acted/taught/directed in the performing arts for over 24 years. He... read full bio
Jesse Billauer is a well-known surfer from Pacific Palisades, California. Billauer suffered an accident at the age of 17 on March 25, 1996, hitting his head on a shallow sandbar after being knocked off his surfboard by a wave. The force broke his neck, severing his spinal cord at the C6 level and instantly rendered him a quadriplegic. Doctors told... read full bio
The stories and experience of meeting Jessica in person will touch every listener, every time. As a person who has never viewed herself as a victim of her condition, Jessica shares in her speeches humorous stories of struggles and success living in a two-handed world. She provides critical insight on how best to approach a challenge, redefining the... read full bio
A former professional ice hockey player from Canada is named James G. Kyte. Kyte played 598 games in the National Hockey League (NHL), becoming the league's first (and only) legally deaf player. Kyte is the son of John Kyte, the Athlete-of-the-Half-Century at St. Francis Xavier University and a former outstanding athlete for Canada's universities. He is also Aynslee Kyte's brother,... read full bio
James E. MacLaren has survived two would-be fatal accidents. The first, at age 22, resulted in the loss of his left leg. The second, 10 years later, left Jim an incomplete quadriplegic. Each time Jim has used sheer force of will and awe-inspiring courage to come back, the first time to become the fastest amputee athlete in the world. Now,... read full bio
In 1993, world-famous track sensation Jim Ryun, who was the first high school athlete in the United States to run a mile in under four minutes, was the driving force behind the establishment of Better Hearing and Speech Month by the Council for Better Hearing and Speech. For nine years, Ryun held the world record for the mile with a... read full bio
