Hello cyberspace, allow me to introduce you to miss Becca Wight, and the knowledge she shared in honor of Disability Pride month. Read below to discover 3 stories of people with disabilities that you should know. The excerpt below was taken straight from Becca's Instagram page, which she so kindly allowed me to share with our community, to learn more please follow her @becca_wight. 

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As part of Disability Pride month, I wanted to share stories of disabled people that I think everyone should know about. Discussions surrounding disabled figures, artists, writers, musicians, etc. are often hidden as a result of ableism. People seem to have the misconstrued perception that disability = inability. And that disabled people are not capable of being intelligent, creative, passionate, and live a truly full and independent life. But they are. 
So, because of this, I wanted to share some disabled people's stories. You may not have realized these people are disabled, or you may have. Some have visible disabilities and others invisible. Disability issues spread across such a broad spectrum and plane of people. You cannot know someone is disabled by necessarily looking at them or judging their capabilities. 
I hope this helps to encourage many people to look into disabled stories and disabled history. Educate yourself outside of this post and others. Disability history deserves to be told. There are so many amazing disabled people, both alive and passed, who have achieved wonderful things. 

 Frida Kahlo was a world-famous Mexican artist, known for her surrealist art.

She was born with spina bifida, a congenital condition that affected her spinal and leg development. As well as developing polio and getting into a car accident at a young age.

Some of her art portrays her disabilities, such as The Broken Column and Tree of Hope, Keep Firm. 

(view here, Frida Kahlo artwork)

Known for her outstanding poetry and literature, her words have inspired millions.

Maya Angelou had a hidden disability. After years of abuse and sexual assault as a result of her mother's boyfriend in her childhood, she developed selective mutism. 

This is an anxiety disorder and meant that she remained completely silent for five years. 

(learn more, Maya Angelou )

Hawking was and still is an exceptional theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author, who is known worldwide.

In 1963 Hawking was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, which gradually paralyzed him over the decades of his life.

He massively helped to show that disabled people are so much more than just their disability. And that their disability does not necessarily mean inability. He always placed a focus on what he could achieve, rather than his difficulties. 

(read more, Stephen Hawking)

as told by Becca Wight

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