The 5 most famous wheelchair users
Science, politics, art, film and sport: the lives of these 5 famous wheelchair users could hardly be more different. And yet they all have one thing in common: they did not let their physical limitations stop them. Their stories show that barriers can turn life upside down, but they cannot take away talent, creativity or the desire to make a difference.
The physicist who changed the way we see the universe.
1. Stephen Hawking (1942–2018)
When people talk about black holes or the origin of the universe today, one name almost inevitably comes up: Stephen Hawking.
At just 21 years old, the British physicist received a diagnosis that completely changed his life: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive disease of the nervous system. At the time, doctors gave him only a few years to live.
But Hawking proved not only numerous scientific theories wrong, but also every prediction about his own future. Over the years, he lost almost all control over his muscles and became permanently dependent on a power wheelchair. With the help of a speech computer, he gave lectures around the world, published bestsellers and developed theories that continue to shape our understanding of the universe today.
Fun Fact
Stephen Hawking was known for his fast driving style and is said to have once run over the feet of British heir to the throne Prince Charles.
The president who led the United States through its greatest crises.
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
Few politicians shaped the 20th century as much as Franklin D. Roosevelt.
At the age of 39, he contracted polio, a viral infection that led to permanent paralysis of his legs. Although he relied on a wheelchair and leg braces from then on, he ran for the highest political office in the United States.
Roosevelt became the only U.S. president to be elected four times. He led the country through the Great Depression, introduced the New Deal and played a crucial role during the Second World War.
Interestingly, his disability was rarely shown in public at the time. Photographers were often asked not to photograph him in his wheelchair whenever possible. A reflection of how society viewed disability back then.
Fun Fact
Franklin D. Roosevelt was a passionate stamp collector who gathered more than 1.2 million stamps over the course of his life. As president, he even designed stamp sketches himself, including variations of famous works of art. His very last official acts involved purchasing the first new stamps of the United Nations.
The woman who turned her pain into art.
3. Frida Kahlo (1907–1954)
Few artists are as iconic today as Frida Kahlo.
At the age of six, she contracted polio, which left her right leg permanently weakened. At 18, she was also involved in a serious bus accident that broke her spine, pelvis and several other bones. More than 30 operations followed. In the final years of her life, her health deteriorated so much that she often used a wheelchair.
Kahlo’s life was shaped by physical pain, severe personal setbacks and a passionate, often difficult love for Diego Rivera. But instead of hiding these experiences, she made them the focus of her art. Her self-portraits tell stories of vulnerability, identity, pain and strength and are now considered milestones of modern art.
Fun Fact
At her first solo exhibition in Mexico, Frida Kahlo appeared despite medical advice to the contrary in a hospital bed that had been placed in the middle of the gallery.
The actor who gave Superman a face.
4. Christopher Reeve (1952–2004)
Millions of people knew Christopher Reeve as Superman.
The American actor became famous in 1978 with his leading role in the film Superman, which was a huge international box-office success. Reeve was not the first actor to play Superman, but he became perhaps the most iconic embodiment of the character.
In 1995, a horse-riding accident changed his life in an instant. Reeve suffered a severe injury to his cervical spine and was paralysed from the neck down. From then on, he relied on a wheelchair and a ventilator.
But instead of withdrawing from the public eye, he used his fame for a new purpose: he advocated for people with spinal cord injuries, founded what is now the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation together with his wife and became one of the most important voices for research, rehabilitation and inclusion.
Fun Fact
Christopher Reeve beat around 200 other actors in his audition. His role as Clark Kent in Superman made him world-famous overnight and earned him the 1979 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer.
The most successful wheelchair tennis player of all time.
5. Esther Vergeer (*1981)
Dominance in elite sport is hard to describe more impressively than with the name Esther Vergeer.
After surgery due to a vascular malformation in her spinal cord, she became permanently dependent on a wheelchair. What followed remains unique to this day.
Between 2003 and her retirement in 2013, the Dutch wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis player remained unbeaten for 470 consecutive matches. She won 48 Grand Slam titles and four Paralympic gold medals.
Many sports experts therefore consider her one of the most successful tennis players of all time.
Fun Fact
During the final ten years of her career, Esther Vergeer did not lose a single singles match.
