Born Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Hyde Park, New York on January 30, Graduate Harvard with a BA in History in 3 years. Attended Columbia Law and passed his Bar Exam before graduating. Was a Elected a NYS Senator under the democratic platform, although his district was predominantly republican. 1905, he had married a distant cousin, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, who was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt. The couple had six children, five of whom survived infancy He was elected four times as President of the USA, serving just over 12 years before he died. We usually remember the American presidents who had a war to contend with or a huge domestic crisis. FDR had both, the Depression and World War II. More

FDR was president, from March 1933 to April 1945, it was not a secret that he had had a severe bout with polio. But the extent of his disability was not well known. Not only could he not walk, but he could not stand without braces that ran the entire length of his legs. The press tacitly agreed to not take pictures of FDR in his wheelchair We must grasp the fact that every day the president could not get out of bed, get dressed, reach the bathroom or get to his desk without the assistance of another person and a wheelchair. He was totally dependent upon both. Considering these restrictions, FDR's extraordinary leadership and achievements become even more impressive.

 Poliomyelitis is a viral disease that can affect nerves and lead to paralysis.  There are three basic patterns of polio infection: subclinical infections, no paralytic, and paralytic. Approximately 95% of infections are subclinical infections, which may not have symptoms  The virus spreads by direct person-to-person contact, by contact with infected mucus or phlegm from the nose or mouth, or by contact with infected feces.  Risks include: › Lack of immunization against polio and then exposure to polio › Travel to an area that has experienced a polio outbreak › In areas where there is an outbreak, those most likely to get the disease include children, pregnant women, and the elderly. The disease is more common in the summer and fall. More

 Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines, the incidence of the disease has been greatly reduced. Polio has been wiped out in a number of countries. There have been very few cases of polio in the Western hemisphere since the late 1970s. Children in the United States are now routinely vaccinated against the disease.  At the age of 39 FDR was diagnosed with Polio after his election he founded an organization to help fundraise and conduct research to help others like himself. National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, later renamed the March of Dimes.  As a result, the vaccine for Polio was created and to this day available

An orthopedic brace is a device used to: immobilize a joint or body segment, restrict movement in a given direction, assist movement, reduce weight bearing forces, or correct the shape of the body. A Cane is walking mechanism used by some individuals who need support but still have control of their legs. More

FDR used a wheel chair during his presidency. At the time wheelchairs were made of Wood and steel and he was pushed by someone. If he or anyone else could afford an electric wheelchair this would be the ideal wheel chair. It now robotically stands the individual up. In the matter of FDR this would have been his method of speaking to the nation and the world.