I saw that July was Disability Pride Month on July 1st and had to do it. So, I started with Judith Heumann, whose book is on my to-read list but whom I see referenced frequently when reading about disability rights.
Then I started thinking.
I am afraid there are a lot of actors. There's anything wrong with being an actor, but it's so much easier to know about them that it almost makes me feel shallow. I nearly included Gary Burghoff (Radar from M*A*S*H) too, but all of the articles that referenced his polydactyly were kind of click-baity.
Some things felt more personal than others. I learned about Temple Grandin in a Psychology class really early in college and it made a strong impression.. I have interacted with Alice Wong (and spotlighted her books) and Keah Brown through Twitter, and participated in a Kickstarter for Tee Franklin. I actually know Barry Wilcox from church, though I haven't seen him for ages.
Kevin Kling was from a film we saw when visiting the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis. I started following Halli Thorliefsson when he was feuding with Elon Musk (that's a good story there). And of course, Serge Kovaleski is the Pulitzer Prize winner mocked by Trump.
I know about Shane Burcaw and Hannah Aylward because of an article about people sending them hate. That happened this month.
Obviously I knew about Rene Kirby from seeing Shallow Hal, but there was no knowing that he would die a day after I posted about him.
I suppose my biggest achievement is that after five of these months, there are still no repeats. Two months left in this year, unless there is something else that is going to surprise me. (That is completely possible.)
The most important thing about this list is probably the variety. Besides differences in how they present, these conditions are congenital, or from accidents, or from illnesses, or issues where the roots may have been there earlier but they did not show up for a while. Some conditions come with age.
One of the things the article on Adam Pearson discusses is how the same condition presents differently in his twin brother.
You being completely without disability now is no guarantee it will stay that way.
That is worth keeping in mind.
7/1 Judith Heumann: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/disability-rights-activist-judy-heumann-dies-at-age-75-180981752/
7/2 Temple Grandin: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/as-autism-ignites-a-national-conversation-temple-grandin-has-something-to-say/ar-AA1EWZjs
7/3 Louis Braille: https://www.icoe.org/news/story-louis-braille-inventor-braille-code
7/4 Harriet Tubman: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asylum/202411/harriet-tubmans-disability
7/5 Alice Wong: https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965935/alice-wong-san-francisco-disability-advocate-2024-macarthur-genius-grant-winners
7/6 Sudhaa Chandran: https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/sudhaa-chandran-opens-up-on-losing-her-legs-in-1981s-accident-24633
7/7 Helen Keller: https://www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/biography-and-chronology
7/8 Daryl Mitchell: https://hollywoodmask.com/entertainment/daryl-mitchell-motorcycle-accident-in-2001-wheelchair.html
7/9 Thomas Davila: https://csulauniversitytimes.com/spina-bifida-essay/
7/10 Marlee Matlin: https://apnews.com/article/marlee-matlin-documentary-not-alone-anymore-e94e58db30b4ce27c3187aa629e44ea2
7/11 Kevin Kling: https://onbeing.org/programs/kevin-kling-the-losses-we-grow-into/
7/12 Michael J. Fox: https://www.michaeljfox.org/michaels-story
7/13 Laura Hillenbrand: https://phoenixrising.me/myalgic-encephalomyelitis-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/laura-hillenbrand-on-mecfs-her-formerly-athletic-life-and-how-she-gets-by-the-si-interview/
7/14 Mitch Longley: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-apr-18-ca-20670-story.html
7/15 Keah Brown: https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a32983436/my-joy-is-my-freedom-keah-brown-essay/
7/16 Beethoven: https://www.californiasymphony.org/composer/beethoven/the-whole-story-of-beethovens-deafness/
7/17 Tee Franklin: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2023/07/17/disabled-creatives-in-comics-interview-with-tee-franklin/
7/18 Stevie Wonder: https://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/1283-stevie-wonder-s-brilliant-electronic-soundtrack-to-an-almost-secret-film
7/19 Christopher Reeve: https://www.biography.com/actors/christopher-reeve-horseback-riding-accident
7/20 Shane Burcaw, with Hannah Aylward: https://evoke.ie/2025/07/16/life-style/couple-narrative-disability
7/21 Halli Thorliefsson: https://www.bosshunting.com.au/hustle/elon-musk-firing-halli-thorleifsson-twitter-100-million-mistake/
7/22 Serge Kovaleski: https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2009/serge-kovaleski-84-earns-pulitzer-prize-123.php
7/23 Rene Kirby: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/arts-culture/rene-kirby-84-2291401
7/24 Stephen Hawking: https://hiehelpcenter.org/2018/03/19/stephen-hawking-normalized-disability-spoke-not/
7/25 Millicent Simmonds: https://variety.com/2021/film/features/quiet-place-2-millicent-simmons-john-krasinski-1234977160/
7/26 Adam Pearson: https://brightside.me/articles/the-journey-of-adam-pearson-an-identical-twin-with-a-rare-disease-who-rose-to-stardom-819760/
7/27 Barry Wilcox: https://www.usparacycling.org/news/2025/june/09/a-world-cup-sweep-has-barry-wilcox-riding-high-now-with-an-eye-to-the-world-championships
7/28 Disability representation in dance: https://dancemagazine.com/disability-dance-representation/
7/29 Murderball: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/they-call-it-murderball-wheelchair-rugby-isn-t-for-the-faint-of-heart/ar-AA1pDigq
7/30 Invictus Games: https://salish-current.org/2025/02/25/invictus-games-a-celebration-of-inclusivity-in-sports/
7/31 Paralympics: https://www.paralympic.org/ipc/history
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