Since we recently had a Presidential election, I was thinking about people in history that have impacted the disability world. I started to think about Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR was the 32nd President of the United States. He used a wheelchair, but tried to hide the fact that he had Polio from the public. My guess is that he did so because he was afraid of the reception he would get from people about his disability.
Then, I started to think about how this is not something that would probably be hidden today for a few reasons. First, I would hope that the climate toward people having a disability has changed.   If there was a candidate who had a disability, he (or she) would not feel like their disability was something that needed to be hidden in order to even be seriously considered for the highest position in the country. Second, a lot of people feel like their disability limits them from achieving their goals. In my opinion, being the President of the United States is like achieving the American dream to some. If it is possible for someone with a disability to attain this goal, maybe someone else would see this as the motivation they need to achieve their own goals. Also, I feel like if we had a President with a disability now, he or she would be out in public. As a result, maybe more people would realize that having a disability is not as uncommon as they might think it is anymore. It would also be a good example, demonstrating that people who are disabled participate in everyday things just like anyone else.
FDR did many things for this country that ended up in the history books I studied when I was in school. While I do remember his disability also being mentioned, I believe that he started bringing down a tremendous barrier with out really intending to or realizing what he was doing.
What is your favorite piece of history that shows others overcoming stereotypes?
Thanks for reading..
cr