Letters: Stephen Hawking to many disabled people was a sense of pride and hope

Dear Editor,

Stephen W. Hawking, the Cambridge University physicist and best-selling author who roamed the cosmos from a wheelchair, pondering the origin of the universe despite his physical circumstance, became emblematic of human determination and curiosity.

Negative attitudes such as “inspiration”, “overcoming disability” and references to “tragedy” often dominate discussions of disabled people.

Amid all the tributes to cosmology’s brightest star, he contributed perhaps unknowingly to many disabled people a sense of pride and hope.

A small percentage of people with motor neurone disease live for decades after their diagnosis.