Driven by a passion for swimming, Bill MacPhee landed a job as a commercial deep sea diver in Singapore at the age of nineteen. At twenty-four years old, MacPhee was trapped in a world of illusion, housed in a psychiatric ward, diagnosed with schizophrenia. After many hospitalizations and a suicide attempt, MacPhee found medication and began a full recovery. This... read full bio
Bill Demby serves as proof that a major disability doesn't mean the end of the line in athletics. Demby lost both his legs from the knee down when the truck he was driving in Vietnam was hit by a rocket. An avid competitor before his injury, he found that participation in sports gave him the self confidence he needed to... read full bio
When most people meet a scholarship pageant representative, they expect to be greeted by smiles, waves, and an unflappable good mood. As Miss Arizona 2002, that was the image most people expected when they met Laura Lawless. She was the face of Arizona in that year's Miss America pageant; she was also the face of mental illness. Diagnosed with clinical... 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
John Baumann has lived, and has succeeded at, three, if not more, separate, distinctive, yet overlapping, lives. John found success as a student, now educator, putting himself through school, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts with a business degree and graduating with a juris doctorate from Cornell Law School having the distinction of being the last person admitted... read full bio
It was stated that when Anthony Martin von Sager said hello to the world, there was no path for him to follow, not even a trail, but only enormous mountains that prevented any advancement. However, Anthony was uninterested and made the decision to construct one on his own, leading to his unique position in life, fulfillment, and success. He acquired... 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
Chris Fonseca has done stand-up on the tube, The Late Show with David Letterman, Arsenio, SHOWTIMEs Latino Laugh Festival, among other shows. Despite being born with Cerebral Palsy, Fonseca has no chip on his shoulder. He sees himself as did the Montreal Gazzette, as a comedian who happens to have Cerebral Palsy. Among various charitable efforts, in 1998 Chris established... read full bio
Brett Leake is a dynamic performer of observational material. His lively desire to learn and to know lead him from the kitchen to the car to the classroom to the stage. Behind a persona that is appears sometimes confused, sometimes frustrated, Brett wonders about the little things the automobile battery light, people who draw a line through the number... read full bio
"Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world. Now her fascinating life, with all its challenges and successes has been brought to the screen with the HBO produced, full-length film Temple Grandin. Among numerous other recognitions by media, Bravo Cable did a half-hour show on her life, and she was featured in the... read full bio
Helping Hands for the Blind was founded by Robert J. Acosta. Both he and his wife, Ruth Ann, were born blind, but have not only overcome their own handicaps in this area, but have dedicated a major portion of their lives to helping and working with the blind. Robert has spent 33 years in the teaching profession, and was employed... read full bio
As was the case with many Americans, Michael Hingson's life changed dramatically on September 11th. He and his Guide Dog Roselle were the lucky ones, however, in that they escaped the World Trade Center attack. As a WTC survivor and as a Guide Dog user, Michael was thrust into the international limelight. Michael and Roselle have appeared on Larry King... read full bio
Alex Valdez is a comedian and an acclaimed speaker. Having a disability, Valdez became the first comedian with a disability to gain recognition. He has gone on to become very popular winning the first Norman Lear Comedy Competition and also winning the hearts of everyone who hears him speak. He has released programs, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way... read full bio
Todd Huston is an author, politician, and speaker. Hustons life changed when he was 14 years old and his legs caught onto a boat propeller. He struggled to keep his legs but he eventually had bone disease and in result, had to amputate one of his legs. Since then, Huston became a psychotherapist and is the clinical director of the... read full bio
Carmen Apelgren was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of seven. Eventually, she lost her eyesight. As a Theater and Dance major, Apelgren was a performer at hearta singer, dancer, actress, playwriter, ad songwriter. After leading a life as an artist, Apelgren joined the staff at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles as the institutes Community Relations Coordinator. She... read full bio
Roderick Sewell is a Paralympic athlete and swimmer who has represented Team USA. Sewell was born missing his tibia in both of his legs and had to get them both amputated above the knee before he was 2 years old. A year after his surgery Sewell got his first pair of prosthetic legs. Sewell’s mother had to quit her job... read full bio
In April 1997, Warren Macdonalds life would forever be changed. While climbing on Hinchinbrook Island in Northern Austrlia a tragic accident happened. A giant boulder came down and crushed Warrens legs; they were both completely amputated at the thigh. Extraordinarily Warren began climbing again only a short 10 months later. He climbed Cradle Mountain and Federation Peak in Tasmania... 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
Steve Mikita was born with Werdnig-Hoffman Disease, a degenerative neuromuscular disorder. He entered life neurologically impaired, confined to a wheelchair and dependent on others for his daily needs. But Steve's mind and spirit were unimpaired. Mikita has served as an assistant attorney general since 1981. A revered motivational speaker, he also teaches law at BYU. In addition to his formal... read full bio
On May 27, 1998 Tom Whittaker confounded conventional wisdom when he became the first person with a disability to stand on Mount Everests 29,035 ft. summit. His story reads like a movie script and speaks to courage, passion and persistence to achieve a dream, no matter how daunting. Whittakers authenticity and his ability to engage his audiences hearts and heads... read full bio
