International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Established and launched by the United Nations in 1992, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities takes place on 3 December each year. The day recognises visible and invisible disabilities and promotes the importance of inclusion in life and the workplace.
If you are planning an event to mark the day these are just some of the inspirational speakers we work with who have overcome physical and mental hurdles to succeed in their respective fields.
Anne Wafula Strike, MBE, is an inspirational and motivational speaker who draws on her own life experiences and achievements to inspire her audiences.
Anne was a fit and healthy child before polio struck when she was two years old. Superstitious villagers believed the family was cursed following Anne’s partial recovery from illness, which forced her family into decisions and acts that would change her life forever
After completing A-levels and graduating from Moi University with a Bachelor of Education degree, Anne taught at Machakos Technical College in Kenya before meeting the man she would marry – which led her to Britain, motherhood, wheelchair racing, disability advocacy, and charity work.
2004 marked the beginning of an Olympic career when Anne became the first wheelchair racer from Sub-Sahara Africa to compete at the Paralympics in Athens. In 2006 Anne became a British citizen and joined Team GB and in 2007 she was officially recognised by the Queen at a Buckingham Palace reception for her work as a disabled athlete and for involvement in charity work for people with disabilities.
Nicolas Hamilton is an inspirational speaker and motivated who has become a successful motor racing driver, despite having Cerebral Palsy. Nicolas was only 18 months old when his parents were told that he would never walk and that his eyesight was extremely poor and would deteriorate as he got older.
With sheer determination and desire, Nicolas has proved the doctors wrong. His life was not going to be ruined by his condition and seeing others with more severe Cerebral Palsy, Nicolas realized he was quite lucky and with much persistence could make racing a reality
From wheelchair-bound to walking unaided by the age of 17, Nicolas was given the opportunity to race in the highly competitive Renault Clio Cup series. In 2015, Nicolas became the first disabled athlete to compete in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and hopes to inspire both disabled and non-disabled individuals worldwide to show that pushing to better yourself regardless of your life situation or industry is possible.
Amar Latif is a blind traveler, speaker, entrepreneur, and television presenter with an astonishing track record of facing up to major challenges. Due to an incurable eye condition, Amar lost 95% of his sight by the age of 18. Through sheer determination, he has managed to turn an unpromising tale of loss, into one of inspirational achievement.
Amar became known to millions through the groundbreaking BBC2 reality series, Beyond Boundaries, a jungle endurance expedition across Central America. Screened worldwide, this was a grueling 220-mile trek on foot across the rugged interior of Nicaragua, from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast.
Amar Latif had to ford swollen rivers, cut through dense jungle, cross waterfalls, climb a 5,000 ft. active volcano, and navigate the second-largest lake in Latin America.
Michael McGrath is an inspirational speaker on resilience, leadership, disability awareness, and diversity and inclusion
At just 18yrs, Michael was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy (MD), a degenerative muscle-wasting disease. Nineteen years later, Michael made history by becoming the first disabled person to lead expeditions to both the North (April 2002) and the South Poles (Jan 2004).
Michael’s adopted life credo ‘Quant Je Puis’, meaning ‘As Much As I Can’, provides the fuel for a rare speaker who takes enormous pride in listening and interpreting client requirements, enabling bespoke presentations to be carefully crafted. Often as a keynote speaker, Michael’s story is laced with powerful learnings and anecdotes drawn through the lens of his life, a journey of discovery and acceptance in not only facing his own adversities but also sharing compelling lessons and insights from his polar achievements.
Winston Ben Clements is an Inclusion Speaker and advocate with expertise in the areas of disability awareness, anti-racism, and resilience. He was predicted to live a life of isolation and pain due to a rare bone disorder known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). This condition caused his bones to be extremely fragile, suffering over 200 fractures in his lifetime.
Winston Clements is a two-time TED Speaker, Entrepreneur, and YouTuber. His specialist topics are disability awareness, anti-racism, and resilience. Winston has partnered with global brands including Google and Disney. His ultimate mission is to inspire 1 BILLION people to unleash their full human potential.
For more information on any of these speakers or any of our other speakers please contact us at enquiries@scampspeakers.co.uk or on 020 8854 7247