Politicians and Activists
Nelson Rockefeller was the forty-first Vice President of the United States. As a boy of nine; he did not know the letters of the alphabet. He was thought of as dull and backward. In addition to his reading problem young Nelson's father believed that left-handedness could be cured with proper training and discipline. In later years, he would wonder what psychological problems might have been caused by his father's aversion to using the left hand.
"I was one of the 'puzzle children' myself -- a dyslexic . . . And I still have a hard time reading today. Accept the fact that you have a problem. Refuse to feel sorry for yourself. You have a challenge; never quit!" - Nelson Rockefeller
George Washington was the first President of the United States of America. He had very little formal schooling. When he was 14 years of age, his grammar and spelling were described as "atrocious". However he did have a flair for mathematics. He was made President of a new country called, United States of America.
Dr. Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States. Despite suffering from dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Wilson taught himself shorthand to compensate for his difficulties. In 1886, he received his Ph.D. in political science from Johns Hopkins University. Wilson remains the only American president to have earned a doctoral degree.
Erin Brockovich is an American legal clerk and environmental activist.She struggled in school and wasn't diagnosed until later in life, as dyslexics. She helped win a $333 million lawsuit against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company that is the largest in U.S. history. The film that shares her story and name was a huge hit.
"Most people don't know that I have dyslexia. I don't like to be labeled. We are taught not to judge a book by its cover, but that's exactly what we do.People called me stupid. I knew that I could learn, but I just couldn't learn the way that society wanted to teach me. There are no set answers, just be who you are."- Erin Brockovich