<--Previous  Up  Next-->



FDR's Wheelchair (replica)

In the summer of 1921, at the age of 39, Franklin Roosevelt contracted poliomyelitis (polio). He never regained the use of his legs. This wheelchair is a replica of one he personally designed and used. Taking parts from a commercial wheelchair and the seat from an ordinary kitchen chair, he constructed a wheelchair that was more versatile and manageable. Using all means necessary—wheelchairs, leg braces, retrofitted cars, and supporting arms of aides, friends, and family—Roosevelt remained active and continued his political career. Throughout his life he championed many causes for disabled Americans and established a foundation and therapeutic center in Warm Springs, Georgia, for people who had polio.