At first glance, there’s nothing remarkable about John Foppe. Walking with a slight limp and an unassuming gait, this 43-year-old American can pass off as any other middle-aged person. But interact with him or listen to him talk, and you realise that he is anything, but ordinary.
An artist, author and a motivational speaker, Mr. Foppe was born without both hands.
“My condition was a shock for my parents and relatives as they feared for my future in this competitive world. Their major concern being where would I fit in? But I stood on my own with the encouragement I got from my mother,” he states.
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Acknowledging that it’s a daily battle for survival, Mr. Foppe explains that he overcame his problems by sheer will power.
“Human body has limitless power and adaptability and one has to just put one’s heart and mind to overcome any problem,” he maintains, during a motivational talk on Saturday as part of his maiden trip to the country.
Everyone has issues and problems and it is fine to fall down, but one should never lose hope and should fight back, he advises.
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“All things are possible, but to achieve them, one has to first unlock his or her own inner strength,” he says.
While “society does have an obligation to remove the barriers for physically-challenged people, it is also imperative for differently-abled persons to shed their inhibitions and embrace life completely. It’s a two-way street and responsibility is on both the sides, the society and the individual,” he explains.
Mr. Foppe also observes that the rapid technological developments would help differently-abled people immensely. The ‘Voice Command’ softwares like ‘Siri’ in Apple’s iPhone, in particular is of great help to the people with disabilities, he says, quipping: “I am looking forward for a day when we can operate the computer with just a voice command.”