Last updated: May 20, 2025
Thing to Do
Exhibit - First Things First: FDR, Disability, & Access
In 1921, FDR became paralyzed at the age of 39. Before he could return to politics, he first had to figure out how to get around.
Inaccessible places create barriers that effectively disable us from full and equal participation in society. FDR used wheelchairs, crutches, canes, leg braces, handrails, automobiles, ramps, and other objects to navigate the social and physical barriers people with disabilities face every day.
Although FDR had the means to make his world less disabling, for him and others it would remain full of barriers for decades. Legal recognition of access as a civil right would not begin until 1968 with the passage of the Architectural Barriers Act and later the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
What is Disability?
According to the World Health Organization, disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition and personal and environmental factors. These include negative attitudes, inaccessible buildings and transportation, and limited social support.
A Disabling Disease
In the first half of the 20th century, tens of thousands of Americans were infected with poliomyelitis. Polio is a disease that attacks the central nervous system and can leave those infected, both children and adults, partially or fully paralyzed.
While vacationing at Campobello Island in 1921, FDR became ill and was diagnosed with polio. The virus left him partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. However, with physical therapy and the use of mobility aids, FDR resumed a political career, established a polio rehabilitation center, and launched a charitable foundation to treat patients and fund research that eventually developed a vaccine.
Walking
FDR regularly used leg braces, canes, and customized speaker stands for public appearances around the country. As the crowd looked on, the President would approach the speaker stand with his cane and the strong arm of an assistant. Then grabbing the rails at the rear of the stand, he used his upper body strength to move forward.
Corrective walking, as it was called at Warm Springs, was a vital part of polio therapy. Knees and ankles were braced to optimize function and give proper support for weakened joints. Learning to walk with paralysis was also necessary because public places were not designed to accommodate wheelchairs.
A Disabling World
Working with FDR, architect Henry Toombs designed buildings that eliminated barriers long before the development of accessible building codes. At Warm Springs the needs of disabled people informed design. Examples included corridors with handrails, covered walkways, and automatic doors with time-delay closure.
Architect-designed accessible housing prior to the 1968 Architectural Barriers Act is not well documented. Warm Springs and Top Cottage are among the very few known examples. Both houses include location of all primary living spaces on a single floor, ground-level entry, wide doorways, and minimal thresholds.
The Wheel Chair at Albany
People with disabilities have always taken issue with words that mischaracterize their experiences.
In 1931, a newspaper editorial questioned FDR’s ability to govern because he was disabled. Roosevelt took issue with the editor’s characterization of him as “the wheel chair at Albany.” Despite being generally favorable towards the candidate, the editor’s choice of words reinforced stereotypes of the disabled as invalids.
FDR lived in a time when accessibility was a radical idea. A range of accommodations allowed FDR to get around, and in doing so, he challenged negative perceptions. People saw him using leg braces, canes, ramps, and automobiles. He wanted the public to see him as an able leader, not a helpless invalid.
A Symbol of Access?
Today, the wheelchair is recognized as an international symbol of access. But that was not always the case. In a world without ramps and curb cuts, wheelchairs provided limited access. When FDR began using wheelchairs in 1921, they were large and made mostly for use in hospitals and institutions. Often called “invalid chairs,” they were designed for the patient’s comfort but also confined injured, sick, or disabled bodies. FDR’s father and grandfather both used chairs of this type.
Inaccessible places create barriers that effectively disable us from full and equal participation in society. FDR used wheelchairs, crutches, canes, leg braces, handrails, automobiles, ramps, and other objects to navigate the social and physical barriers people with disabilities face every day.
Although FDR had the means to make his world less disabling, for him and others it would remain full of barriers for decades. Legal recognition of access as a civil right would not begin until 1968 with the passage of the Architectural Barriers Act and later the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
What is Disability?
According to the World Health Organization, disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition and personal and environmental factors. These include negative attitudes, inaccessible buildings and transportation, and limited social support.
A Disabling Disease
In the first half of the 20th century, tens of thousands of Americans were infected with poliomyelitis. Polio is a disease that attacks the central nervous system and can leave those infected, both children and adults, partially or fully paralyzed.
While vacationing at Campobello Island in 1921, FDR became ill and was diagnosed with polio. The virus left him partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. However, with physical therapy and the use of mobility aids, FDR resumed a political career, established a polio rehabilitation center, and launched a charitable foundation to treat patients and fund research that eventually developed a vaccine.
Walking
FDR regularly used leg braces, canes, and customized speaker stands for public appearances around the country. As the crowd looked on, the President would approach the speaker stand with his cane and the strong arm of an assistant. Then grabbing the rails at the rear of the stand, he used his upper body strength to move forward.
Corrective walking, as it was called at Warm Springs, was a vital part of polio therapy. Knees and ankles were braced to optimize function and give proper support for weakened joints. Learning to walk with paralysis was also necessary because public places were not designed to accommodate wheelchairs.
A Disabling World
Wheelchairs and leg braces were not enough to meet FDR’s needs. The wooden ramps, railings, and interposed steps he used at his homes and the White House also made it possible for FDR to travel. Evidence of these accommodations for his disability were visible everywhere and sometimes on a grand scale.
Barrier-Free DesignWorking with FDR, architect Henry Toombs designed buildings that eliminated barriers long before the development of accessible building codes. At Warm Springs the needs of disabled people informed design. Examples included corridors with handrails, covered walkways, and automatic doors with time-delay closure.
Architect-designed accessible housing prior to the 1968 Architectural Barriers Act is not well documented. Warm Springs and Top Cottage are among the very few known examples. Both houses include location of all primary living spaces on a single floor, ground-level entry, wide doorways, and minimal thresholds.
The Wheel Chair at Albany
People with disabilities have always taken issue with words that mischaracterize their experiences.
In 1931, a newspaper editorial questioned FDR’s ability to govern because he was disabled. Roosevelt took issue with the editor’s characterization of him as “the wheel chair at Albany.” Despite being generally favorable towards the candidate, the editor’s choice of words reinforced stereotypes of the disabled as invalids.
FDR lived in a time when accessibility was a radical idea. A range of accommodations allowed FDR to get around, and in doing so, he challenged negative perceptions. People saw him using leg braces, canes, ramps, and automobiles. He wanted the public to see him as an able leader, not a helpless invalid.
A Symbol of Access?
Today, the wheelchair is recognized as an international symbol of access. But that was not always the case. In a world without ramps and curb cuts, wheelchairs provided limited access. When FDR began using wheelchairs in 1921, they were large and made mostly for use in hospitals and institutions. Often called “invalid chairs,” they were designed for the patient’s comfort but also confined injured, sick, or disabled bodies. FDR’s father and grandfather both used chairs of this type.
Details
Activity
Museum Exhibits
Pets Allowed
No
Activity Fee
No
Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.
Reservations
No
Accessibility Information
Automatic door entrance over 32 inches in width. Manuevering clearance throughout exhibit gallery. ADA compliant reader rail height for seated individuals. High color contrast and large, sans serif text in dyslexia-friendly layouts on each graphic panel. Approachable images on reader rails. Tactile gallery map. Tactile scaled bronze model of FDR's wheelchair. Audio description of exhibit content available on the NPS app in June 2025.