Kitty O'Neil - No Fear

I am someone who self-describes as "risk-averse." Today's post is about a woman who is absolutely the opposite of that. Kitty O'Neil, raised by her widowed Cherokee mother and deafened as a baby, was a highly ambitious and extremely talented athlete, driver, and stuntwoman. She achieved over twenty world records in spite of ableism, racism, and sexism. Kitty was adored by all who knew her. Many commented on her warm, sunny demeanor and admired all that she had accomplished. Kitty was, for lack of a more philosophical assessment, simply incredible.

Kitty, late 1970s

Sarah Biffin - With Persevering Talents

I am perpetually amazed and delighted by the artistic expression of historical figures with disabilities that I have come across. Instead of staying out of the spotlight, as society wanted, they put themselves out for everyone to see. This post's talented subject, Sarah Biffin, painted many self-portraits that depicted her limb differences, among other portraits and miniatures. Though her the men in her life were rarely decent, she persisted in her talent and love for art while maintaining independence.

Undated self-portrait

 

Millie-Christine McKoy - A Soul with Two Thoughts

Writing this post reminded me of how wild history can really be - many times I thought that these situations sound like a movie script. Millie and Christine McKoy, conjoined twins from the same state in which Chang and Eng Bunker lived most of their lives, are not as well-known as they should be. (A chronic theme in these posts, huh?) Their early years were filled with danger: enslavement, multiple kidnappings, custody suits, and international travel to entertain royalty. Through it all, these women obtained an education and became talented performers. They eventually bought the very plantation on which they were born and provided a large home for their relatives. They were able to obtain a measure of independence and autonomy that most women, especially Black women with disabilities, did not have in the Victorian era.

Millie & Christine, 1870

Brad Lomax - A Bridge

I admit that, though I have been involved in the disability community for my entire life, I have only recently gained any knowledge of the disability activists of the past several decades. It is because of them that my sister is able to access buildings in her community, obtain an education, and more. Many of these activists are not well-known, especially ones of color. Brad Lomax is considered one of the founders of the intersectional activism that combined the resources of the civil rights movement with the disability movement's fortitude.

Brad at a rally, 1977

Louis Braille - An Inventor in Darkness

There are some adaptive systems that are so well-known to the modern world that we cannot imagine a time without them. Braille, the raised-dot system of writing used primarily by those with visual impairments, could be classified as such. It is so ubiquitous that we forget the man it is named for, the creative and intelligent man who shared his gifts to improve his world. Though it took almost a century for it to be globally adopted, Braille has opened paths of knowledge and communication to untold numbers.

Portrait of Louis as an adult

Charles Proteus Steinmetz - Wizard of Schenectady

There are names that are well-known in the world of inventors and science, such as Thomas Edison or Nikola Tesla. One of their contemporaries was just as influential, if not more, though his is not a household name. It is because of him, Charles Steinmetz, that we have the electrical advances of the last century. He, known as the "Wizard of Schenectady," the "Modern Jove," and "The Thunderer," who called himself a "queer, gnome-like figure," was the father of electrical engineering.

Charles as an adult

Chang & Eng Bunker - The Siamese Twins

This post travels back to the age of "freak shows." Fair warning, this will be a running theme in this blog. It is a tragic but important part of disability and physical differences in the not-too-distant past. Honestly, an entire blog could be devoted to the individuals who performed in these shows (there's one I found that gave me many post ideas: The Human Marvels). This story is of a famous set of twins who have an incredibly unique story that involves race, fame, ability, marriage, children, and slavery in the American South. They are the origin of the term "Siamese twins."

Chang & Eng as adults