"The word 'disability' may apply to us, but it will never define us. We decide who we are, and what lives we will create," said Dr. Glen House, founder of Disaboom and a quadriplegic himself. "Throughout history, people with disabilities have shaped the world we live in, and can serve as an inspiration to anyone newly facing a disability."

Notable contributions of people with disabilities include the following:

• Scientific innovation.Stephen Hawking is best known for his contributions in the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity. As a person living with ALS, his discoveries have been instrumental in the scientific community's breakthroughs in theoretical physics.
• Communication breakthrough:Louis Braille's system of organized bumps that represented letters revolutionized written communication for people who are blind. Today, the Braille system continues to be used widely as a reading and writing tool for this community.
• Athletic legacy:Lou Gehrig's perseverance and drive were apparent throughout his record-setting baseball career. His legacy, both as a baseball player and as a person who lived with ALS, has inspired sports enthusiasts for decades.

• Cultural inspiration.Michael J. Fox, best known for his roles on Family Ties and in Back to the Future, continues to shape America's pop cultural landscape with guest appearances on television shows such as Boston Legal and Scrubs, and as an advocate for Parkinson's Disease research.
• Musical adaptation.Rick Allen, drummer for the British rock band Def Leppard, inspired percussionists worldwide when he overcame the amputation of his left arm. By developing a new drum kit, he was able to continue playing with the band and drive them to their greatest popular success.

"I want to share ways for people to understand that disability isn't the end of life. It can be a new beginning," said House. "By remembering the impact notable people with disabilities have made on the world and taking advantage of resources such as disaboom.com, people with disabilities can find the information, community, and connection that will enable them to pave a path that supports new goals and dreams - and determine the way they will choose to live forward."

With 21,000 daily site visits, disaboom.com offers people faced with a new disability the tools, tips, and support they need to adapt, thrive, and live forward. The site combines social-networking features similar to Facebook.com with information of interest to people living with or touched by disability, including medical news and lifestyle articles about job hunting, dating, travel, political issues, accessibility, adaptive driving, caregiving, and more.

For more information about living forward with a disability, visit http://www.disaboom.com.