Franklin Roosevelt saved the country some say twice (Great Depression and WWII). He was elected a record four times and held the position of chief executive longer than anyone else. Throughout his Presidency, however, few people knew he was paralyzed from the waist down.
In August 1921 (9 years before becoming President), Roosevelt came down with a fever. Within a month, he was paralyzed. Roosevelt was a fighter and continued his political career when many would have given up due to public opinion of the early 20th century.
The press treated FDR's disability as taboo. They did not film him getting in and out of cars or trains. When giving speeches, Roosevelt would hold himself up on the podium. He would often gesture with his head instead of his hands. Even the most ruthless political cartoonists, most of whom were aware of FDR's condition, did not portray him in a wheelchair.
FDR was a courageous man and today serves as a role model for those who cannot walk. It is a shame that he had to hide his disability for fear the public would view him as weak. He proved, even in retrospect, that those with disabilities can achieve anything; not only be President but be one of the best Presidents.
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