In this article, you’ll discover:

• What cleft lip and palate are and how common they are.
• The inspiring journeys of notable figures like Joaquin Phoenix, Cheech Marin, Peyton Manning, Jesse Jackson, and others.
• The importance of raising awareness and supporting those with cleft conditions.

Join us in learning more about these inspiring individuals and the impact of cleft lip and palate on their lives and careers.

Key Takeaways

Cleft lip and palate are among the most common congenital conditions, affecting many people worldwide. This article highlights famous people born with a cleft lip and/or palate, showing that these conditions have not hindered their success. By learning about these individuals, we can raise awareness about cleft lip and palate and celebrate the achievements of those who have overcome this abnormality.

Outline

1. What is a Cleft Lip and Palate?
2. How Common are Cleft Lip and Palate?
3. Joaquin Phoenix: A Renowned American Actor
4. Cheech Marin: A Comedy Icon
5. Peyton Manning: NFL Legend
6. Jesse Jackson: Civil Rights Advocate
7. Stacy Keach: A Distinguished Actor
8. Tom Brokaw: A Respected Broadcaster
9. Carmit Bachar: A Musical Talent
10. Other Famous People with a Cleft Lip and Palate
11. Raising Awareness About Cleft Lip and Palate

What is a Cleft Lip and Palate?

A cleft lip and palate are congenital conditions where a baby’s lips or mouth fail to fuse properly during embryonic development. This results in an opening or split in the upper lip and/or the roof of the mouth (palate). These conditions can vary in severity and can affect eating, speaking, and hearing.

Understanding the Condition

The cleft lip can range from a small notch in the lip to a large opening that extends into the nose. The cleft palate involves an opening in the roof of the mouth, which can affect speech development and other functions.

How Common are Cleft Lip and Palate?

Cleft lip and palate are some of the most common birth defects. According to the Cleft Lip and Palate Foundation, approximately 1 in 700 babies are born with a cleft lip or palate each year.

Treatment and Support

Treatments typically involve corrective surgery to repair the opening, which may be followed by speech therapy and dental care. Numerous organizations, such as Smile Train, provide support and funding for surgeries to help children born with these conditions.

Joaquin Phoenix: A Renowned American Actor

Joaquin Phoenix, known for his roles in films like Joker and Walk the Line, was born with a microform cleft lip. This minor form of cleft lip appears as a small scar above his upper lip. Phoenix’s successful acting career and his ability to tackle diverse roles have made him one of the famous actors with a cleft.

Overcoming Challenges

Despite being born with a cleft lip, Joaquin Phoenix has become a household name in Hollywood. His experiences with the condition have not hindered his career; instead, they have added to his unique persona on screen.

Cheech Marin: A Comedy Icon

Cheech Marin, famous for his role in the comedy duo Cheech & Chong, was born with a cleft lip. He underwent surgery to correct the deformity and went on to have a successful career in comedy and acting.

Making a Mark in Entertainment

Marin’s journey highlights that a cleft lip does not prevent someone from achieving greatness. He is an inspiration to many, showing that with determination and talent, one can overcome any obstacle.

Peyton Manning: NFL Legend

Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning was also born with a cleft lip. Known for his remarkable career in American football, Manning has broken numerous records and won multiple awards, including two Super Bowl championships.

An Advocate for Children

Manning’s achievements on the field are well-documented, but he also uses his platform to advocate for children with cleft lip and palate, raising awareness and supporting various charities.

Jesse Jackson: Civil Rights Advocate

Politician Jesse Jackson, born with a cleft lip, has been a prominent figure in the civil rights movement. He has worked tirelessly to promote equality and social justice in the United States.

A Voice for the Marginalized

Jackson’s efforts have had a significant impact on society. His condition has never defined him; instead, it has added to his resolve to fight for the rights of others.

Stacy Keach: A Distinguished Actor

Stacy Keach, known for his roles in American History X and Blue Bloods, was born with a cleft lip and palate. Keach was born with this condition, which required numerous operations and reconstructive surgery.

A Successful Acting Career

Keach’s successful acting career spans decades, and he is also an advocate for awareness about cleft conditions. He speaks openly about his experiences, helping to reduce stigma and encourage support for those affected.

Tom Brokaw: A Respected Broadcaster

Tom Brokaw, a renowned television journalist and author, was born with a cleft lip and palate. Brokaw’s career includes anchoring the NBC Nightly News and authoring several books.

Sharing His Story

Brokaw has spoken about his experiences growing up with a cleft, using his platform to raise awareness and support for others with the condition. His success in journalism is a testament to his resilience and talent.

Carmit Bachar: A Musical Talent

Carmit Bachar, former lead vocalist of The Pussycat Dolls, was born with a cleft lip and palate. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries, Bachar has enjoyed a successful career in music and dance.

Inspiring Others

Bachar uses her story to inspire others with cleft conditions. She promotes positive body image and self-acceptance, encouraging others to embrace their uniqueness.

Other Famous People with a Cleft Lip and Palate

There are many other notable individuals who were born with a cleft lip and palate. These include ancient Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun, economist Thomas Malthus, and broadcaster Tom Burke.

Celebrating Achievements

These famous people with a cleft demonstrate that the condition does not limit one’s potential. They have achieved greatness in their respective fields, serving as role models and advocates.

Raising Awareness About Cleft Lip and Palate

Raising awareness about cleft lip and palate is crucial to ensure that affected individuals receive the support and treatment they need. Organizations like Smile Train and the Cleft Lip and Palate Foundation play a vital role in providing resources and funding for surgeries.

Importance of Support

Support from family, friends, and the community can make a significant difference in the lives of those with cleft conditions. Public awareness and acceptance are key to reducing stigma and promoting inclusivity.

Bullet Point Summary

• Cleft lip and palate are common congenital conditions where the lips and palate fail to fuse properly during fetal development.
• Joaquin Phoenix is a renowned American actor born with a microform cleft lip.
• Cheech Marin, known for his comedy, was born with a cleft lip and underwent surgery.
• Peyton Manning, a former NFL quarterback, was also born with a cleft lip and supports various charities.
• Jesse Jackson, a civil rights advocate, was born with a cleft lip and fights for equality.
• Stacy Keach, a distinguished actor, was born with a cleft lip and palate and promotes awareness.
• Tom Brokaw, a respected broadcaster, was born with a cleft lip and palate and shares his experiences.
• Carmit Bachar, a musical talent, was born with a cleft lip and palate and inspires others.
• Other notable figures include King Tutankhamun, Thomas Malthus, and Tom Burke.
• Raising awareness and support for cleft conditions is crucial for reducing stigma and providing treatment.

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The best minds from British universities have been discovered and their innovation has been showcased and is now supported by £85,000 funding each through the Royal Academy’s Enterprise Hub. Many of the ideas such as technology which should be able to work towards eliminating wrinkles and the creation of a new smart material will be interesting to see develop but there are some clear frontrunners when it comes to the disability sector and we’re looking at those more closely here.

Smart Glasses by Dr Stephen Hicks

Stephen Hicks’ Smart Glasses

Dr Stephen Hicks is a Research Fellow in Visual Prosthetics and he is working to produce revolutionary smart glasses designed to aid those living with visual impairments and blindness. Rather than focusing on sound based or touched based assistive technology Hicks’ research and prototype is a visual display which can be worn as glasses and is designed to improve the usefulness of the vision a person already possesses.

The glasses work by using the surroundings and detecting the 3D structure of nearby objects and then highlighting these on the visual display, allowing for recognition of things such as people, obstacles and faces. Hicks and his team are working on their prototype at present and hope to have a lightweight pair of glasses, market-ready towards the end of the year. This video explains a little more about what’s on offer:

Uroglide by Dr Nicola Irwin

Uroglide Logo

Uroglide is the development of Dr Nicola Irwin and her team at Queen’s University Belfast. Uroglide is an innovative creation designed to reduce the pain and discomfort that comes with use of catheters. Whilst many people use catheters due to operations and other work, some people require catheterisation as part of their daily life. Many people live with poor bladder function and learn to self-catheterise but this can be painful and the risk of infection or further urethral problems is higher than medical professionals would like.

Dr Irwin and her team at Quen’s have developed a new and exciting coating technology which is cheaper than the current industry-standard coating for catheters and remains lubricated for longer, adhering strongly to the catheter at the same time. A lot of the pain in catheter removal at present is down to the dried out nature of the catheter itself but this new coating removes that problem completely, improving the patient’s experience and limiting pain. Uroglide has the true potential to save time and make a life changing difference to people who suffer from the pain of self-catheterisation using the current devices and their coatings.

Fingertip Computer Gaming by Dr Jack A. Cohen

A little more unusual and indirect than the other innovations, Dr Cohen’s development is a wireless device that detects and uses 3D movements in your fingertips to interact with a computer. Whilst it has been touted as a huge potential development for computer gaming and remotely operating machinery, it could also be used in AAC technology, as an alternative for people who are able to use their hands but perhaps are non-verbal.

The technology works by combining information from cameras and set wireless sensors and people are already suggesting it could even replace the traditional computer keyboard and mouse, allowing our hands to become the key controllers instead. Dr Cohen’s technology stands out because it is accurate and affordable and has the real potential to give virtual reality a chance to take to the mainstream. This video is an example of the technology in use:

These are just some of the many ideas our universities are coming up with and the more technology can be utilised to improve people’s lives, the more funding and focus it should be given.

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Stay Up Late Gig Buddies

Enjoying Music with Stay Up Late

Stay Up Late relies on volunteers who want to enjoy live music and are happy to go along with someone with learning disabilities to ensure they get to enjoy the same experiences as everybody else.  Stay Up Late clients are matched with volunteer gig buddies with common interest so they can attend gigs together which might mean live music concerts but could also be football matches, church services and festivals.

Many people with learning disabilities live independently of their families but they are supported in their daily life by staff. This makes late night events difficult as many staff are tied down to rotas and therefore, if they finish their shift at 10pm, staying on at a gig until 11pm is very unlikely and the individual in question may need support in getting home and therefore would have to leave too.

Leaving events at around 9pm has become the norm for many people with learning disabilities according to Stay Up Late and this is clearly an example of the unfairness and inequality people are living with, simply due to their additional needs.

Live your Independent Life

Stay Up Late wants all its clients to know they can stay up late however they wish. Their Facebook page shows a wide range of events which have attracted people with learning disabilities across the country as well as those local to the charity’s base in Brighton.

Stay Up Late also assert that in addition to their voluntary scheme, support workers should be employed flexibly and be able to work different hours to allow late night events, going out in the evening and therefore ensuring people with learning disabilities can live the lifestyle they choose. Many support workers are happy to work different hours as long as they know in advance but red tape issues often stop companies from allowing this and this is something Stay Up Late want to change.

Share Passions and Interests

Music crowd with Stay Up Late

In a radio interview the man behind Stay Up Late, Paul Richards, explained the importance of the shared passions in the success of his charity. Discussing events he had attended purely because someone was needed to go, he realised just how important it was to attend events with likeminded individuals rather than just someone who’s available. Gig buddies are chosen because of their close matching interests to the clients and therefore long-term friendships are formed as well as simply someone to take along to events.

It’s also important to note that all individuals who are selected as volunteer buddies are fully checked and vetted to ensure they are safe to accompany with vulnerable adults and Stay Up Late ensure safeguarding practices are followed to the letter.

Stay Up Late and Do What You Want

Stay Up Late exists to further independence. In the interview again Paul explains how rarely you see a person with learning disabilities out at night and how Gig Buddies was setup to try and create a natural and organic process of forming friendships through shared interests and push forward the message that people with learning disabilities have every right to be out enjoying an active social life of their choosing, integrating into their chosen communities.

We think the work at Stay Up Late are doing is commendable and think their efforts should be spread nationwide to allow even more people with learning disabilities to live the lifestyle they wish, unconfined by rotas and management.

All photographs courtesy of the Stay Up Late website.

Video Transcript

The video was created using the NZ Radio interview and the mp3 can be found here http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/audio/20152929/stayuplate-org

A transcript of the video is available below but has also been added as captions to the you-tube video.

Simon:  Stay up late is a charity in the UK that promotes the rights of people with learning disabilities to live the lifestyle of their choice. They match clients and volunteers with common interests and then they attend gigs together everything from musical concerts to sporting events and church services.  Paul Richards is the man that set up Stay Up Late and Gig Buddies.

Paul:    I don’t know what the situation is like in New Zealand, but the UK there is lots of people with learning disabilities and autism who don’t get huge amount of funded support. So what happens is they end up spending a lot of time at home in social isolation. Loneness leads to all sorts of things around you know poor mental and physical health and it’s bad for communities to have people who are you know, lonely. And so, gig buddies is basically trying to deal with that problem by hooking social isolated people with learning disabilities up with a volunteer who loves the same music so they can go out to main stream gigs or whatever tickles their fancy together. For some people that is to go play sports, watch sport, somebody wants to go to church; doesn’t really matter. Say what your gig is and we’ll find someone later to go. But, generally it’s around about music.

Simon: And the critical bit here is having some sort of shared interest in that type of music because I guess you’ve got so many genres of live music happening that matching that up it would be problematic. There would be nothing worse than I guess one music fan having to go and sit for 2 hours through some other type of music performance that they actually hated and wouldn’t’ come back for more.

Paul:    Exactly! Last year some of our advisory group and they are made up of people with learning disabilities, they decided that they’d like to go see the dancing on ice extravaganza at the Brighton Center [00:02:01] and I said to our project manager ‘oh do I have to go? I absolutely hate that kind of thing”. Because, I know that if you love that kind of thing the energy rubs off and if you don’t you just sort of sit there zapping everyone else’s energy away from them. So I would go and I would try to be professional and I would try to be enthusiastic, but isn’t it better to go with somebody who truly shares you passion whatever that is? And your right, that’s the hook. It’s about a shared interest but also from that it’s also finding new experiences as well. So if you think about the sort of thing you sit in a pub and you are sort of chatting with a mate and you tell him to check out an artist I’ve never heard of, you know, and it’s that stuff that you go back and you buy the record and you listen to it and it expands your horizon and so that’s part of it as well, but within what people are comfortable with.

Simon: So how do you find the volunteers, the buddies that are taking people out to these gigs because as I mentioned you have to be I wouldn’t say careful, but there must be some sort of selection criteria?

Paul:    Yeah absolutely. We advertise in a variety of different places so, universities, venues themselves, a lot of word of mouth, we sort of go to events you know sort of around social care and things like that and put the word out, but also people like social workers sort of spread the word as well, but everybody gets interviewed and find out more about them. Then we do, well we are required by law to do criminal background checks on everyone, and we also give them some training. During that process some people do drop out and they realize it’s not for them or they come back with a colorful police record, and if you’ve got a police record it doesn’t mean that you can’t be involved; it does depend on what it was and when it was for to be honest.

Simon: I am sure, I am sure. Now the Gig buddies is part of a broader charity that you set up called Stay Up Late which is essentially about reclaiming the night isn’t it? For I guess as you say this community of people that are a large proportion of them don’t tend to get out at night.

Paul:    There is so much stuff going on you know but I sort of sit at the pub every evening, and still where we live very few people with learning disabilities out in the evening and you know the pub is where you, well I met my mates and watch music or chat the night away and those sort of things; those natural sort of things. So that’s what we through Gig Buddies are trying to create is natural friendships so they sort of go on in their informal and hopefully they last for a long time. But yeah, stay up late started because we were frustrated, I was in a band with 3 guys with learning disabilities in a punk band it’s called Heavy Load, and we were frustrated that people were leaving our gigs just as we got on stage and it was classic spinal tap because we never ever thought that was a reflection on the quality of our performances which were an acquired taste and quite chaotic and hilarious. It was because typically people do have support, have staff who are this ridged router systems that finish at 10 o’clock at night so everybody leaves at 9 so they can be home tucked up in bed with their cup of cocoa and the staff go home, and we started challenging that saying ‘look people with learning disabilities have every right to be active social lives that we all enjoy and the stuff that defines us and makes us part of a community and they are being denied it.’ So that’s why we started it and it sort of all grown from there.

Simon: So as a Gig buddy I would join the organization and I would go through the vetting process and then I fill out some form and say ‘hey look I am really into Reggae’ or I like a bit of this or that and you would then say ‘okay look we’ve got someone over here who is interested that.’ What do I then go and pick that person up and then I am responsible for them for the evening?

Paul:    Yes, well what we do is we have sort of a matching process. Our project manager she’ll be thinking when she meets people, she’ll be looking at their musical interests also where they live because a lot of the areas we work outside of Bright and it is quite rural and we pull public transport link. So it’s looking at do people live in the next village or town along and do they have a car and that sort of thing. And then, then it might sometimes be around sex or sexuality, age, it’s a whole range of things go into the mix in time which work out as well as their musical tastes which is quite a complicated thing. But then we’ll always go and support the first night out so that they get to meet at first. And then we’ll go support the first night out. So it’s sort of set up in that gentle way, and then they can go on and develop their friendship, but we sort of, we guide people through that because we are fully aware that people have anxiety around going out with somebody with a learning disability and most of our volunteers are new to supporting people with learning disabilities. So you know we talk through maybe a few of the potential support issues. There might be that someone is anxious in crowds and noisy situations and things like that and what you do in situations where somebody’s experiencing anxiety and different things like that. Yeah, so we don’t just leave them to it we sort of… – and then we offer them ongoing support as well so if they are having some doubts or problems we’ll meet with them and chat through things with them.

Simon: Paul Richards is the founder of Stay Up Late and there is more information on our website right now.

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At Living with Disability we are constantly on the lookout for new innovations and inventions which could be used to make living with a disability easier. We support universal and design for all ideas that can be used freely or may be particularly useful for disabled people. Geco Hub is an innovative storage system solution which is currently looking for funding through Kickstarter. We are supporting Geco Hub and it’s creator Simon Lyons as we think it is a fantastic looking design .

What is Geco Hub? “A home for things without a home”

This video is the best place to start to give you an idea of what Geco Hub is and what it can offer:

It is the brainchild of Simon Lyons and his company Version 22 and they’re looking for £35,000 through Kickstarter to get the project off the ground. The Kickstarter is due to end on 24^th April 2014.

Geco Hub up Close

A range of Geco Hub elements

Geco Hub is extremely easy to use and fit into your home in any way you see fit. It can be simply mounted to any surface using screws or adhesive pads and you can even fit it in places where drilling is impossible.

It can be assembled by hand in a few short minutes and the flexible components used to hold your items in place can be bought in a number of bright and innovative colours, one of the key things which makes them an ideal option for people living with visual impairments.

The Geco Hub system also benefits from being easily expandable. Each standard unit is 5×5 but other units of the same size can be added to create a larger storage space. Each unit uses its own elements to hold things in place with no need pins reducing the risk of stab injuries as well as damage to paper items.

This handy GIF shows off some of the different variations of Geco Hub you could try.

As the photo below shows the Geco Hub isn’t just for light, paper items though and it can hold a huge amount despite its seemingly small size:

The Geco Hub holds a range of heavy items

Geco Hub for Disabilities

The Geco Hub has a wide range of different uses for people living with disabilities. The bright design is ideal for people who have visual impairments but equally its wall positioning makes it easier for finding things which can be a problem when they’re laid flat on a table surface.

It’s also a great option for people who have joint pain or problems and find bending down difficult. Storing all important items at eye level means they can be reached for without needing to bend or stretch uncomfortably.

The Geco Hub is also an easy to position storage device which could be perfect for wheelchair users keeping all those key items within easy reach. Rather than standing eye level the Geco Hub could be easily placed at reach-level whilst seated.

British Design and Production

Geco Hub – Made in Britain

As supporters of British design above all we are pleased to see that Geco Hub is committed to using high quality suppliers in the UK which we definitely see as a hugely positive commitment for British industry.

The Geco Hub idea has been brewing away in the mind of its inventor since 2010. During Simon’s time at university and on graduation he has been dedicated almost solely to preparing the product to be ready for a launch on  Kickstarter and we wish him every success with achieving the total need to fund the project.

Geco Hub interview on BBC Radio

Simon had a really interesting  interview on the radio that gives some more background and information about the product.

The many benefits of this item means we simply had to support it.  We hope it goes on to be as successful as the  Sensory Stories project we backed last year. We hope our involvement may go some way in pushing Geco Hub closer to its target. So if you want to be part of this exciting project, dig deep and get on board and be one of the first people to own a Geco Hub!

Visit the Geco Hub Kickstarter page here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/version22design/geco-hub-home-for-things-without-a-home

GecoHub Update

Geco Hub Phone Charging Station

Unfortunately the first attempt by Version 22 and Geco Hub on Kickstarter wasn’t a success but this hasn’t got them down – in fact they’re back for more and relaunching their Kickstarter attempt today: 29th July 2014!

The product has been updated, there have been changes and new developments but the core principles of the product remain the same, as they say themselves:

A lot has changed since the first time around but Geco Hub’s core benefits aren’t among them. Every step of the way along the path from the last campaign to this one I have taken the utmost care to ensure that Geco Hub is just as easy to assemble, install and use as it ever was and that only the best materials for the job are used. In fact, through doing all of this Geco Hub is now better than ever!

At Living with Disability we are still 100% behind Geco Hub and are very hopeful that this time they’ll receive everything they need to produce their versatile storage system. It is such a versatile development that can benefit people from people of all walks of life and we want it to be out there for sale for anyone who wants it! There’s even a new video showing off its perks:

We hope you get behind the campaign and to find out more visit their brand new Kickstarter campaign page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/version22design/geco-hub-stop-losing-in-style

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3D Printed Products

3D printing is a revolutionary new development which has unfortunately been in the news for the wrong reasons. However when it’s looked at critically it can only be a positive move for the world’s technological and even medical industries. 3D printing can revolutionise the lives of millions of disabled people through some of its many applications.

3D: Printing the Future

The Science Museum, London has an ongoing exhibition – 3D: printing the future which looks at all the innovative ways of utilising this technology for the benefit of mankind. It showcases the power and versatility offered by 3D printing equipment and the collection includes over 600 printed objects. Some are little more than a bit of fun whilst others could genuinely be life changing.

This exhibition shows how innovative technologists and medical technicians are able to turn data into 3D printed objects which could have life changing impact. The exhibition focuses mainly on the future of modern industry, medicine and how 3D shopping could change your everyday shopping experience. Here we’re looking at some of the ways 3D printing is already being used for the benefit of people around the world.

3D Printing for Disabled People

Hundreds of disabled people have already been helped by 3D printed products. It has the potential to make the clinical, ugly assistive equipment more personalised and part of the person rather than an unmatched addition. This is only the beginning however and below we’re looking at the practical applications of 3D printing for disabled people.

3D Printed Prosthetics

The Nemours Biomedical Research facility at the Alfred duPoint Hospital for Children in Wilmington researched and developed a unique durable exoskeleton. This exoskeleton was made through 3D printing and it was able to be fitted to a child, Emma Lavelle, who had previously been unable to raise her arms or use her legs. As this video shows the WREX exoskeleton has revolutionised her life:

Further examples of the 3D printing of prosthetics can be found in Europe. An elderly woman was able to have her jaw replaced, based upon a 3D printed model of her lower mandible. The woman had unfortunately had her jaw removed due to an infection and was considered very high risk due to her age and related factors. The researchers from Belgium and Holland were able to utilise 3D printing to develop a unique jaw replacement for this lucky patient, who was able to speak and swallow normally within a single day of the operation.

3D Printed Organs

There are recorded cases where 3D printing has been used to print organs built from the patient’s own body cells. There is scope that this could revolutionise the organ donation network and whilst there are thousands of people waiting for donations another method of replacing organs really is much needed.

Using 3D printing a doctor at Wake Forest’s Regenerative Medicine Department (North Carolina) was able to develop artificial scaffolds in the shape of an organ with living cells. The department is now working towards developing printing equipment that can print these scaffolds and living cells simultaneously. The doctor in question, Dr Anthony Atala, has presented a TED Talk on the subject.

Other Applications

3D Printing for Facial Reconstruction

The benefits of 3D Printing for disabled people doesn’t necessarily have to be medical. There have been developments of an educational and entertainment based nature which strive towards inclusion. There have been developments of 3D printer equipment for mathematics and science study for the partially sighted, with graphs and data being accessible in a way that has never been possible before.

Equally others have been able to utilise 3D printing to build custom game controllers to support people living with physical disabilities and enhance their gaming experiences. Many different people have shown their home-developed game controllers simply through utilising 3D printing equipment and this is something which really could revolutionise people’s daily life.

There are 3D printed utensils designed to help people with fine motor difficulties and 3D printing is also allowing people who may not have been able to afford a prosthetic to build their own with the support of their families and friends.

Technology can be harnessed to work towards inclusivity and with 3D printing gaining steam on a daily basis it’s clear it’s something everybody should take note of.

The Science Museum London’s insightful exhibition is accessible between 10am and 6pm every day, except over Christmas, until 15^th June 2014. It gives you the chance to see this astounding technology in action and take a closer look at some of its applications.

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At Living with Disability, we love to celebrate talented individuals and the work they produce. One such person is Hannah Ensor (@stickmancrips) who illustrates and writes cartoon books about life ‘on wheels’  as well as producing children’s books with ‘her’ charities Whizz-Kidz and HMS benefiting from the proceeds. At Living With Disability we love the witty and endearing style used throughout the books and the cleverly drawn characters.

Hilarious and heart-warming

As well as providing a humorous look about life on wheels and living with disabilities, Hannah also gives her reader a true portrait of exactly how it feels to be living with a disability and all the seemingly hilarious things that can happen, if only they weren’t happening to you. In You Know You’ve Been Pushing it When… we get a hilariously funny and witty look at life in a wheelchair, complete with Ensor’s complementary cartoons which just add more humour to her work. With every copy of this book sold, £1 is donate to HMS, the Hypermobility Syndrome charity.

Whizz-Kids Fundraisers

Stickman artist, Ensor has also written two children’s books, with the charity Whizz-Kids benefiting from the proceeds. Written for 2-5 year olds, Welly Walks and Biscuit Baking feature stickman cartoon kids in wheelchairs and are instrumental books for understanding the fear of being ‘different’ as a child growing up with a disability. Both are extremely funny, entertaining and pitched perfectly for their age group. Even better, £1 per sale goes to the Whizz-Kids charity, who strive to give disabled children the chance to lead independent fulfilling lives.

Ensor’s work extends beyond her books and as her success continues, we’ll be seeing more and more of her work in the public domain, with more commissions being sought all the time. From political protest to company logos, Hannah Ensor has a talent which deserves to be celebrated. Follow her work and success on her blog or on twitter.

If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click here to visit the Disability Horizons store.

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