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Wisdom From A Wheelchair: An FDR Resource Guide

Despite his numerous health issues, including being paralyzed from the waist down, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) is considered, by a large majority, one of the greatest Presidents in American history. Believing that his health issues would make him appear weak to outsiders and worry the American public, FDR rarely allowed himself to be photographed in his wheelchair, and went to great lengths to hid his other ailments. Even in his poorest condition, President Roosevelt changed the social policies of America, and helped conceive of the single largest peace keeping organization in the world – the United Nations. The following links will provide biographical information, lesson plans, study guides and information on FDR’s legacy, as well as suggested readings.

Brief Biographies

  • Biography of FDR This article provides a quality biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt, including the early years of his life.
  • Brief Biography This website provides a brief biography of FDR, including what he was known for and where he was born.
  • Innagural Addresses This website has a biography of FDR, as well as links to his four inaugural addresses.
  • Famous President This website provides brief facts about this famous president, as well as a short biography.
  • Columbia’s Biography This biography of FDR comes from the school he attended: Columbia University.

Lesson Plans

  • Four Freedoms Lesson This website provides resources, lesson plans and activities for studying the four freedoms.
  • FDR’s Disabilities This lesson plan focuses on President Roosevelt’s disabilities, teaching students about how he hid the disabilities and overcame them.
  • FDR And the Supreme Court These four lessons teach children about how FDR dealt with his constituents and the judicial system.
  • The New Deal This lesson plan focuses on the New Deal, helping elementary aged students understand it.
  • The Great Depression and FDR This website offers a comprehensive lesson plan for high school teachers focusing on the Great Depression and how FDR handled it.
  • Great Depression This lesson plan focuses on how the American people dealt with the great depression and how they responded to FDR.
  • The Supreme Court This lesson plan focuses on why FDR wanted to change the Supreme Court to help keep the New Deal.

FDR Study Guides

  • Four Freedoms Study Guide This study guide focuses on FDR’s four freedoms: freedom of speech, religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear.
  • FDR Study Guide This website provides study questions and essay ideas for student’s focusing on President Roosevelt.
  • The Great Depression This study guide focuses on the cause of the Great Depression and how FDR handled it.
  • FDR and the War This study guide provides 56 study questions about the War and President Roosevelt.
  • Great Depression and New Deal Study Guide A study guide for two of the major parts of FDR’s presidency, with 59 study questions.
  • Crash of 1929 This study guide focuses on the period right before and after the Great Depression.

Legacy

FDR is most commonly remembered for his implementation of the New Deal, a set of social programs intended to aid the America public during the Great Depression. His idea for a peace keeping organization gave way to the inception of the United Nations, although this did not happen until after his sudden death. He was such a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts, that he actually became the President of the New York Boy Scouts, attending several functions during his presidency. Historians and analysts consider Roosevelt one of the best and most influential presidents in American History, in league with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

His Disabilities

In 1921, well before his presidency, FDR contracted what was then believed to be polio, becoming paralyzed from the waist down. In later years, this diagnosis was heavily debated, with many believing he actually had Guillain Barre syndrome. Since he became paralyzed, FDR underwent countless different therapies, refusing to settle for being paralyzed, even teaching himself to walk for short distances. He is also believed to have had hypertension, anemia, and possibly melanoma. He was placed on digitalis for what some believe to be congenital heart failure.

  • Disability and Deception This article describes the many ailments of the 32nd president and how he hid them from the American people.
  • The Death of FDR This article explains when and how FDR died, including speculation into his health issues.
  • The Dying President This article details how those working with FDR dealt with his ailing health.
  • Health Issues This website provides a list of all of the known health issues that President Roosevelt faced.

Recommended Reading

  • The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt This book, written by Edmund Morris, details how FDR became the 32nd president of the United States.
  • Roosevelts Writings This website provides a list of the writings of FDR.
  • By and About This website details all of the books written by and about President Roosevelt.
  • Good Books These three books focusing on President Roosevelt are recommended by America’s Library.
  • Theodore Roosevelt Collection This website provides a list of books, photographs and exhibits all about President Roosevelt.
  • The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt This book, written by Lewis L. Gould, details the presidency of FDR.
  • The Wilderness Warrior This book, written by Douglas Brinkley, provide details on the private life of FDR, including his love of hunting.
  • Books and Articles This website provides a comprehensive list of a majority of the books and articles written about Theodore Roosevelt.
  • Articles and Editorials This website provides a detailed list of all of the articles and editorials written by FDR.
  • Why We Should Study FDR This TIME Magazine article explains why Americans should study the life and works of President Roosevelt.

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The Game of Quad Rugby

Quad rugby is a sport that was developed for individuals and athletes who have upper body disabilities. The event typically takes place on a basketball court in which the players are in wheelchairs. Originally known as “murder ball”, quad rugby has transformed into a popular Paralympic sport practiced in over twenty countries. Established in 1993, the sport of quad rugby is governed by the International Wheelchair Rugby Federations.

Wheelchair, or quad, rugby was developed in 1976 in the country of Canada by five Canadian wheelchair athletes. Jerry Terwin, Randy Dueck, Chris Sargent, Duncan Campbell and Paul LeJeune created quad rugby to be a sport for quadriplegics. The sport required its players to dribble and shoot baskets. Each team is made up of four players and allowed unlimited substitutes. Quad rugby is played with a volleyball which is carried, batted or passed with the object of the game being to get the ball across the 20 meter goal. Chair contact with other players with or without the ball is encouraged and the player with the ball must dribble or pass the ball in intervals of ten seconds.

  • Quad Rugby History: The history of quad rugby (wheelchair rugby), field dimensions and rules of the game.
  • USA Paralympics: Official United States of America Paralympic website with performance plans, selection procedures and team rosters.
  • Adaptive Sports Program: Wheelchair rugby as an adaptive sports program as a rehabilitation option with videos of a quad rugby game.

In 2005, a documentary film called ‘Murderball’ was directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. The Oscar nominated film focuses on the rivalry between Canadian and U.S rugby teams. The low budget film is about quadriplegics who play the sport of quad (wheelchair) rugby which lead up to the 2004 Paralympics games. The film was nominated in the 78th Academy Awards for ‘Best Documentary Feature’. The major international quad rugby competitions are held in Zone Championships, or each odd numbered year. In even numbered years, the World Championships are held, opposite the Paralympics Games and the Summer Paralympics Games.

Quad rugby is a competitive, fast-paced sport for individuals with quadriplegia. There are over 50 hard-hitting quad rugby teams in the United States alone and over 20 international teams, making this wheelchair sport one of the most popular Paralympic events.

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An Overview of Stephen Hawking

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When life throws you a lemon, you don’t sulk, complain or feel sorry for yourself. Instead, you just make lemonade. You make the most of the situation that is handed to you, just as Stephen Hawking has done in his lifetime of accomplishments, achievements and deeds while being severely disabled. Mr. Hawking is an extraordinary human being who defeated all odds and stood his ground in maintaining his sense of humor and integrity, despite his physical limitations. Society puts him in the same category as Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton for his knowledge and experience in Physics, Mathematics and Cosmology. He is a man defined not only by his disability, but by his accomplishments and his contributions to science.

  • The Early Years

Stephen Hawking is a Physics professor at Cambridge University, located in Cambridge, England. His expertise and passion dwells in that of Cosmology, the study of the universe. He was born during World War II, and given the name of Stephen William Hawking on January 8, 1942 in Oxford England. Although it was his father’s dream for his son to become a doctor like himself, Stephen chose not to follow in his father’s footsteps for his love was in Mathematics, Physics, Science and Astronomy. As a boy growing up, he was enrolled at St. Albans at the age of eleven. Though today, he is noted for his work as a researcher, which details a lot of reading and analyzing, as a child Stephen’s reading was at a low level. He found it to be more satisfying trying to figure out how things work, than it was reading text books. Figuring things out on his own opened doors that put him on his career path.

  • The Incurable Disease

Stephen admits that as a child his first challenge was that of being physically uncoordinated. This physical problem led him to shy away from activities dealing with sports. However, the minor set back did not keep him from entering competitions in rowing and coxing at the age of seventeen. It was at the age of twenty-one that he began noticing some more changes in his coordination, more accidents would occur, like falling for no apparent reason. After many tests and hospital visits, he was diagnosed with an incurable disease that would eventually leave him permanently disabled. Today he lives his life confined to a wheelchair and speaking through a voice synthesizer, because the disease has claimed his voice and destroyed the muscles in his body, which leaves him paralyzed. The incurable disease that has taken over his body is Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS as it is sometimes called.

  • His Published Works

The defining man not only loves doing research, giving lectures and interviews. He has a passion for writing as well. He is an author whose contributions include book publications and essays. His first book published is entitled: A Brief History of Time which was followed by two more published works: Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays. Another book was published in 2001 entitled The Universe in a Nutshell. All of which, shows his enthusiasm and interest in Cosmology. Mr. Hawking has proven that he is unstoppable, even in a wheelchair.

  • Conclusion

Hawking is a man of integrity, strength and determination. He is also humble, because regardless of his accomplishments while living with his disability, he still claims that he is no genius. Though in a wheelchair, Hawking is married and has a family. Besides his accomplishments in research, he has won recognition for being on TV Programs such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and being entertained at the White House. With all the things that this man has accomplished, it goes to show that a disability may slow you down and interrupt your life, but it doesn’t have to mean that your life is over. You can still do great things and prove your worth.

Below are lists of links that will lead to interesting reading on the life and accomplishments of Stephen William Hawking, the man who didn’t let being disabled stop him from living.

Hawkins at the University of Cambridge

The Man and His Contributions

About Professor Stephen Hawking

Cosmology at Cambridge

A Glimpse into His Personal Life

Facing the Medical Emergency

An Interview with Stephen Hawking

An Essay on Hawking

 Witnessing a Stephen Hawking Lecture

Beating the Odds

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A Guide To The Paralympics Games

With the world gearing up for the 2014 Olympics, we’d like to take a moment to remind you that Sochi will also play host to this year’s Paralympics. If you’re not familiar with the paralympics, or you just need a refresher, read through our rundown on the history of the games.

The Paralympic Games are games played in the style of the Olympic Games, but are for athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities. The prefix “Para” stems from the word “parallel,” and alludes to the fact that the competition takes place alongside the Olympic Games. 

Sir Ludwig Guttmann founded the games in 1948. He wanted to start a sport that involved veterans from World War II. Within a few years, veterans from other nations joined in the competition. By 1960, a formal games strategy was formed, and the once informal competition garnered the official name of the Paralympic Games. They Games are held every two years, with both winter and summer Games being staged, and are held in the same host city and venues as the Olympic Games.

There are currently 26 different sports on the Paralympic Games program – 21 summer and 5 winter. Winter sports include alpine and cross country skiing, biathlon, wheelchair curling and sled hockey, while summer sports feature many familiar to Olympic Games fans, including track & field, swimming, cycling, Three sports are specific to the Paralympic Games – wheelchair rugby, boccia and goalball, a sport for athletes who are blind or visually impaired. Two new sports, paratriathlon and canoe, will make their Paralympic Games debut in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Athletes are categorized by their disabilities and these categories are then classified based on the sport being played. The athlete categories include amputee, cerebral palsy/traumatic brain injury/stroke, wheelchair-users, blind/visual impairment, and les autres. Les autres is a French phrase which means “the others,” and this category includes all athletes that don’t fit into the other five categories. Some well-known Paralympic athletes include, April Holmes, Erin Popovich, Rudy Garcia-Tolson, Matt Scott, Chris Waddell, Sarah Will, and Jessica Long. Then there is Ragnhild Myklebust of Norway, who holds the record for the most medals ever won at the Paralympic Winter Games. Over the course of her illustrious career, she won 22 medals, 17 of which were gold.

Over the years, the Paralympic Games have seen their fair share of controversy. In 2000, some non-disabled athletes from Spain entered the Games and played on the basketball team for athletes with intellectual disabilities. This prompted the International Paralympic Committeeto suspend all intellectually disabled athletes from Paralympic competition until further evaluation. The committee claimed it would re-evaluate this after the Beijing Games, but no final decision has been made. Doping has also become an issue. During the Sydney Games in 2000, 14 athletes tested positive for doping, and 10 of those were participating in the powerlifting competition. Despite its controversies, the Paralympic Games are a great way for those with physical and visual disabilities to shine and prove their athletic greatness.

For more information about the Paralympic movement, please refer to the following websites:

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