Stevie Wonder's Disability

Stevie Wonder’s Disability; Blindness “Do you know, it’s funny, but I never thought of being blind as a disadvantage” (Gigliotti 103). He inspired and influenced several people to chase their dreams disability or not. Also, Wonder’s music addressed issues in the world like racism and hunger. Stevie Wonder changed many views of what people with blindness could do.

To begin with, blindness has affected many people in the United States and in the world, one million Americans have severe vision impairment and twelve million have lesser vision impairment. (Marcovitz 6). Blindness is the loss of vision or having a measure of 20/200 vision or lower. (Lichanska). People affected with this disability have many limitations, they usually need at least

(Gigliotti 95-96). Wonder has obtained many achievements in his lifetime. He has won fourteen Grammy’s and one Academy Award, which he dedicated to Nelson Mandela. (94). Also he has won an Oscar for the best song. Not only did he win trophies for his songs, he also got some for one of his books, Talking Book, which won a Grammy. (74). Even one of Wonder’s albums, Songs in the Key of Life, was put into Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. (80). Most of his songs addressed social and political themes like in Innervisions. (Williams 44). Wonder also contributed to making Martin Luther King Jr. Day by making a song about it, and even put off making music for a little while to help. “I just never understood, How a man who died for good, Could not have a day that would, Be set aside for his recognition” was a part of the lyrics. (Gigliotti 86). In 2009, Wonder was named United Nations Messenger of Peace, which is the highest citizen ranking. (95). “Stevie Wonder is a true inspiration to all young people all over the world about what can be achieved despite any physical limitations.” UN Secretary General Ban KI-moon said. (96). Later, in 2014, he was presented with the highest civilian award in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by Barack Obama. (102). Barack Obama quoted, “For more than fifty years, Stevie has channeled his inner visions into messages of hope and healing, becoming one of the most influential musicians in American history.” (103). Once, when Wonder performed, he was awarded with $125,000 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music for Popular Music Prize. (Williams