Justin Ross Yoder (born November 9, 1986) is a former soapbox racer. He was the first child with a disability to drive a

soapbox A soapbox is a raised platform on which one stands to make an wiktionary:impromptu, impromptu speech, often about a Politics, political subject. The term originates from the days when speakers would elevate themselves by standing on a wooden c ...

in the All American Soapbox Derby. In 1996, he challenged the regulations to allow children with disabilities to use a hand

brake A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction. Background ...

instead of the required foot brake. Thanks to him, regulations were changed. The hand brake is now called the Justin Brake in his honor. Yoder has Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. His story is told in the film ''

Miracle in Lane 2 ''Miracle in Lane 2'', is a 2000 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Frankie Muniz, Rick Rossovich, Molly Hagan, and Patrick Levis. The film is based on the life of Justin Yoder (portrayed by Muniz), who was the first person with a disability ...

'' starring

Frankie Muniz Francisco Muniz IV (; born December 5, 1985) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the Fox sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'' (2000–2006), which earned him an Emmy Award nomination and two Golden Globe Award n ...

. Yoder is a

Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...

and attends the same church as the film's screenwriters Don Yost and Joel Kauffmann.Roll It: GC Alums strike success in soap box racing and celluloid
Goshen College Bulletin, September 2000. As of 2006, Yoder is a student at

Goshen College Goshen College is a Private college, private Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Goshen, Indiana. It was founded in 1894 as the Elkhart Institute of Science, Industry and the Arts, ...

Goshen, Indiana Goshen ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. It is the smaller of the two principal cities of the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka ...

, and is majoring in American Sign Language Interpreting.

References

External links

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Justin Yoder ('05): "Frosh surprised by caring classmates"
Bethany Christian School Bulletin, pp. 6–7, Summer 2002 edition. (Retrieved April 26, 2007) 1986 births Living people People from Elkhart County, Indiana Goshen College alumni Sportspeople from Indiana People with spina bifida {{US-sport-bio-stub