Text II

Disability is not an obstacle to success. These inspirational

leaders prove that.

World Economic Forum

Dec 2, 2016

Disability need not be an obstacle to success," Stephen Hawking wrote in lhe first ever world disability repor! back in 2011. As one of lhe most influential scientists oi modern times, the wheelchair-bound physicist is certainly proof of that. These four leaders show that disability is no barrier to achieving incredible things.

Frida Kahlo

Mexico's most famous artist was born with spina bifida, a condition that can cause defects in the spinal cord. At six, she contracted polio, which left one leg much thinner than the other.

ln spite of these challenges, she was an aclive child, but at 18 a bus accident left her with serious injuries. lt was while recovering from the accident that Frida discovered her love of painting. She would go on to be one of the most famous Surrealists in the world.

Helen Keller

Born in the US in 1880, an illness left Helen Keller both blind and deaf before her second birthday. While the services available to people with disabilities were less extensive than they are today, Keller's mother sought out experts and ensured her daughter received the best education.

ln 1904, Keller graduated from Radcliffe College, becoming the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts. lt was at university that her career as a writer and social activist started. Today, lhe Helen Keller archives contain almost 500 speeches and essays on topics as varied as birth control and Fascism in Europe.

She would go on to achieve international acclaim, becoming America's first Goodwill Ambassador, and to this day she remains an inspiration to the deaf and blind.

Mark Pollock

"I went blind at 22. From an athlete, I became a young man with a white cane, unsure how to live my life," Mark Pollock, a Forum Young Global Leader explains. But very soon, he found a deeper purpose in life, and realized his disability didn't have to stop him from achieving great things.

"I began to race in deserts, mountains, across oceans, and on the 10th anniversary of going blind, I raced over 43 days to the South Pole."

But in 2010, an accident left him paralyzed, and once again his world changed overnight: "My new life was shattered." He had a choice: to let his disability define him for lhe rest of his life, or to continue fighting. There was only ever one way it was going to go."lf I just sat in a wheelchair, I would be giving up completely," he remembers. Today, he's working with other leaders from science, technology and communications to fund and fast-track a cure for paralysis.

Ralph Braun

Ralph Braun was still a young boy when he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, an incurable group of genetic diseases that leads to a loss of muscle mass.

A few years after his diagnosis, Ralph began to lose his ability to walk. While doctors warned him he would never be able to lead an independent life, the lively young boy was already proving people wrong, building the first battery-powered scooter. His passion would eventually lead him to establish wheelchair manufacturer BraunAbility.

He died in 2013, but as his company's website notes, his legacy lives on. "Necessity is the mother of invention, and Ralph's physical limitations only served to fuel his determination to live independently and prove to society that people with physical disabilities can participate fully and actively in life."

Adapted from https://medium.com/world-economic-

forum/disability-is-not-an-obstacle-to-success-these-inspirational-

leaders-prove-that-72176033669

Text I

What is lhe best country you have travelled lo in your lifetime?

08 comments to lhe question

#1

Norway. It has the most beautiful nature in lhe world. Genuinely nice people and it's so safe I hardly locked my bike in most places.

#2

Kyrgyzstan. It absolutely blew my mind. lt's stunningly beautiful and has an impressive range of landscapes for such a small country. The food was fantastic, the people were just amazing, and the entire experience was incredible.

#3

Costa Rica, by far. l've been to a lot of countries, but lhe friendly atmosphere, combined with the beautiful views of Costa Rica are just perfect for me.

#4

Taiwan gets my vote. I think I could live there. I love it! lt's easy to get around. The people are so kind. lt's clean and safe. So scenic. Big fan.

#5

Panama. Amazing landscapes (tropical forests, mountains, beaches), incredible wildlife (some of lhe best birds l've had lhe chance to see) and extremely friendly people. And less tourists than its neighbor, Costa Rica, where l've also been to and liked so much.

#6

Turkey (specifically lstanbul). The food was obscenely tasty and very reasonably priced. The people were friendly (minus the taxi drivers) and the metro was incredibly clean. There's so much history there and so much fun stuff to do.

#7

ltaly, for sure. Northern ltaly was the most gorgeous place l've ever seen! Traveling to small towns nestled in the Dolomites, eating some of lhe best food l've ever had, and driving on incredible mountain roads. Then you go south to see beautiful sandy beaches and some famous cities in Europe! That place has everything.

#8

Japan. Hands down the safest country l've ever been to. The best food (not just Japanese food), awesome outdoors (especially for a skier like me), everything is super clean, lhe mix between ancient and modern, and the most hospitable people l've ever met traveling. lf I were to move to another country for a couple of years out of the ones l've been to so far (9 countries), l'd definitely move to Japan.

Adapted from https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments

Text I

What is lhe best country you have travelled lo in your lifetime?

08 comments to lhe question

#1

Norway. It has the most beautiful nature in lhe world. Genuinely nice people and it's so safe I hardly locked my bike in most places.

#2

Kyrgyzstan. It absolutely blew my mind. lt's stunningly beautiful and has an impressive range of landscapes for such a small country. The food was fantastic, the people were just amazing, and the entire experience was incredible.

#3

Costa Rica, by far. l've been to a lot of countries, but lhe friendly atmosphere, combined with the beautiful views of Costa Rica are just perfect for me.

#4

Taiwan gets my vote. I think I could live there. I love it! lt's easy to get around. The people are so kind. lt's clean and safe. So scenic. Big fan.

#5

Panama. Amazing landscapes (tropical forests, mountains, beaches), incredible wildlife (some of lhe best birds l've had lhe chance to see) and extremely friendly people. And less tourists than its neighbor, Costa Rica, where l've also been to and liked so much.

#6

Turkey (specifically lstanbul). The food was obscenely tasty and very reasonably priced. The people were friendly (minus the taxi drivers) and the metro was incredibly clean. There's so much history there and so much fun stuff to do.

#7

ltaly, for sure. Northern ltaly was the most gorgeous place l've ever seen! Traveling to small towns nestled in the Dolomites, eating some of lhe best food l've ever had, and driving on incredible mountain roads. Then you go south to see beautiful sandy beaches and some famous cities in Europe! That place has everything.

#8

Japan. Hands down the safest country l've ever been to. The best food (not just Japanese food), awesome outdoors (especially for a skier like me), everything is super clean, lhe mix between ancient and modern, and the most hospitable people l've ever met traveling. lf I were to move to another country for a couple of years out of the ones l've been to so far (9 countries), l'd definitely move to Japan.

Adapted from https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments

Text I

What is lhe best country you have travelled lo in your lifetime?

08 comments to lhe question

#1

Norway. It has the most beautiful nature in lhe world. Genuinely nice people and it's so safe I hardly locked my bike in most places.

#2

Kyrgyzstan. It absolutely blew my mind. lt's stunningly beautiful and has an impressive range of landscapes for such a small country. The food was fantastic, the people were just amazing, and the entire experience was incredible.

#3

Costa Rica, by far. l've been to a lot of countries, but lhe friendly atmosphere, combined with the beautiful views of Costa Rica are just perfect for me.

#4

Taiwan gets my vote. I think I could live there. I love it! lt's easy to get around. The people are so kind. lt's clean and safe. So scenic. Big fan.

#5

Panama. Amazing landscapes (tropical forests, mountains, beaches), incredible wildlife (some of lhe best birds l've had lhe chance to see) and extremely friendly people. And less tourists than its neighbor, Costa Rica, where l've also been to and liked so much.

#6

Turkey (specifically lstanbul). The food was obscenely tasty and very reasonably priced. The people were friendly (minus the taxi drivers) and the metro was incredibly clean. There's so much history there and so much fun stuff to do.

#7

ltaly, for sure. Northern ltaly was the most gorgeous place l've ever seen! Traveling to small towns nestled in the Dolomites, eating some of lhe best food l've ever had, and driving on incredible mountain roads. Then you go south to see beautiful sandy beaches and some famous cities in Europe! That place has everything.

#8

Japan. Hands down the safest country l've ever been to. The best food (not just Japanese food), awesome outdoors (especially for a skier like me), everything is super clean, lhe mix between ancient and modern, and the most hospitable people l've ever met traveling. lf I were to move to another country for a couple of years out of the ones l've been to so far (9 countries), l'd definitely move to Japan.

Adapted from https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments