JANUARY 2026

PRESENTATION: Dr. Shelby Landmark, "FDR's Disability: A True Story"

LOCATION: Lower floor of the Starr Library, entrance in the rear

DESCRIPTION: 
For the last 80 years, most people have gotten the story of FDR's disability wrong. While FDR is one of the most recognizably disabled historical figures, his disability is most commonly represented in ways that imply he hid the truth of his paralysis from the public after contracting polio in the summer of 1921. Dr. Landmark will overview her new and ongoing research that has revealed the public frequently observed FDR using leg braces, crutches, canes, customized speaker stands, ramps, elevators, and even automobiles to navigate his surroundings.