Guess who: Celebs with hidden disabilities

Did you know that 80% of disabilities are invisible to the naked eye? That pretty much guarantees every single day you’re interacting with people who are living with a disability you can’t detect. You’re also seeing these people and celebrities on your TV, hearing them on the radio, reading about them in magazines and watching them on the big screen. Here are the clues to some famous men and women who live with hidden disabilities.

1. CELEBS
WITHHIDDEN
GUESS WHO:
DISABILITIES

2. DID YOU KNOW THAT 80%
OF DISABILITIES ARE INVISIBLE
TO THE NAKED EYE?
That pretty much guarantees that every single day you
interact with people who are living with a disability you
can’t detect. You’re also seeing these people on your
TV, hearing them on the radio, reading about them in
magazines and watching them on the big screen.
HERE ARE THE CLUES TO SOME FAMOUS MEN AND
WOMEN WHO LIVE WITH HIDDEN DISABILITIES.

3. GENDER: MALE
MARRIED: YES
CHILDREN: 1 BOY, 2 GIRLS
OCCUPATION: BUSINESS EXECUTIVE
This English business executive was born in London
and his first business venture was a magazine
called The Student . In 1972 he started his brand
Virgin, which began as a record store chain, and
in 2012 he announced plans to build an orbital
space launch system. He has spoken out about
living with Dyslexia, which hasn’t stopped him
from being a successful businessman, despite
admitting that …
“for years I haven’t been
able to work out the
difference between gross
and net”.

4. GENDER: FEMALE
MARRIED: YES
CHILDREN: 1 BOY, 1 GIRL
OCCUPATION: ACTRESS
This famous actress was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and
started her acting career on the big screen at age
25 in the movie Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever . One of
her biggest starring roles was in X-Men: Days of
Future Past. She first admitted to living with
Type 2 Diabetes after collapsing on the set of
Living Dolls.
“Diabetes turned out to be
a gift. It gave me strength
and toughness because
I had to face reality, no
matter how uncomfortable
or painful it was.”

5. GENDER: MALE
MARRIED: YES
CHILDREN: 7 GIRLS, 2 BOYS
OCCUPATION: ATHLETE
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, this professional
boxer is widely regarded for the skills he displayed
in the ring as well as the values he represented
outside of it. He is generally considered among
the greatest heavyweights in the sport’s history.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at
age 42, and fought bravely right up until his
death in 2016.
“Parkinson’s is
my toughest fight.”

6. GENDER: FEMALE
MARRIED: YES
CHILDREN: 1 GIRL
OCCUPATION: AUTHOR
This English author was born in England in 1890. Her
first book was published in 1920, and she is best
known for the murder mystery novel And Then
There Were None. She has spoken about her
experience of living with Dysgraphia, saying…
“Writing and spelling were
always terribly difficult
for me. My letters were
without originality. I was...
an extraordinarily bad
speller and have remained
so until this day.”

7. GENDER: MALE
MARRIED: YES
CHILDREN: 3 BOYS, 1 GIRL
OCCUPATION: ATHLETE
This famous soccer star was born in London and
signed on to his first professional contract when
he was 16. His sporting success (and his pop star
turned fashion designer wife) have seen him rise
to international fame. He has admitted to living
with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
(OCD), where his behaviours centre on
organisation and tidiness.
“Everything has to be in a straight
line or in pairs. If I’m putting cans
of drink in the fridge and one
won’t line up or there’s too many
to pair up I’ll put the odd one in
another cupboard somewhere or
throw it out.”

8. GENDER: FEMALE
MARRIED: NO
CHILDREN: 1 GIRL
OCCUPATION: ACTRESS
Born in South Africa in 1985, and returning to Perth
at age 9 with her parents, this actress first rose to
fame in the hit TV series Packed to the Rafters
and has since starred in both Magic City and
Love Child. She revealed to Australian Women’s
Weekly that she lives with Bipolar Disorder.
“Bipolar episodes have been a part of
my life from about 12 years old. I’ve
had cognitive therapy training so I
choose not to be medicated. Suffice to
say, it’s become a manageable part of
my life. I acknowledge it, I know when
an episode is coming on and I work
hard to manage it.”

9. How did you go? Here are the answers to our
Guess Who: Celebs with hidden disabilities

It’s clear that all of
these celebrities have become
successful by not letting their disability
stand in their way. To help you succeed at uni,
find out the disability resources available at USQ.
CRICOS: QLD00244B  NSW02225M TEQSA: PRV12081 25.1.N 01.2017
social.usq.edu.au
RICHARD BRANSON HALLE BERRY MUHAMMAD ALI AGATHA CHRISTIE DAVID BECKHAM JESSICA MARAIS