FDR Memorial Foundation 25th Anniversary Event: FDR's Disability and Legacy
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Senator Tom Harkin (retired)
The personal crisis of Franklin D. Roosevelt's polio diagnosis in 1921 profoundly shaped his character and leadership. The seven years he spent recovering and adapting to life with a disability cultivated in him deep compassion, strategic thinking, and resilience—qualities that became central to his presidency during the Great Depression and World War II. His July 1932 acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination resonated with suffering Americans because it reflected his lived experience: 'Out of every crisis... mankind rises with some share of greater knowledge, of higher decency, and of purer purpose.'
The FDR Memorial and the Wheelchair Statue
The FDR Memorial was dedicated on May 2, 1997, without a prominent representation of Roosevelt’s disability. After persistent advocacy led by the disability community—including Mike Deland, Alan Reich, and Jim Dickson—Congress authorized the addition of a statue depicting FDR in a wheelchair. On January 10, 2001, President Bill Clinton dedicated the Prologue Room, calling the statue 'a monument to freedom.' The statue, created by sculptor Robert Graham, ensures that future generations know Roosevelt led the nation from a wheelchair, reinforcing that greatness stems from lived experience.
Key Advocates and Supporters
The campaign for the wheelchair statue was championed by over 50 disability organizations and notable figures such as Presidents Ford, Carter, and George H.W. Bush, actor Christopher Reeve, and 16 members of the Roosevelt family.
The FDR Memorial Foundation, formerly the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee, has played a crucial role recently in fundraising and preservation. Major donors include the Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation, Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation, and Dr. Lucy R. Waletsky.
Personal and Historical Impact
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (retired) from Iowa, a key architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act, shared how FDR’s New Deal programs, like the WPA, saved his own family during the Depression. Anna Eleanor Fierst, a great-granddaughter of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, emphasized the memorial’s emotional power and FDR’s humanity. Alexandra Reeve Givens, daughter of Christopher Reeve, an actor and activist who was disabled after an accident, highlighted her father’s admiration for FDR’s leadership and policy vision, particularly in healthcare and social safety nets.
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Anna Eleanor Fierst, great-grandaughter of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Disability, Represenation, and Empowerment
Regan Linton, a disabled theater artist, spoke about portraying FDR in her play, FDR’s Very Happy Hour, emphasizing that disability is not a deficit but a source of strength and innovation. Theo Braddy, Executive Director of the National Council of Independent Living, rehabilitated at the facility in Warm Springs, GA that FDR established. Braddy credited FDR’s vision with shaping his life and career. He stressed that hiding disability sends a message of shame, while visibility affirms dignity and capability.
Youth Involvement and Educational Legacy
Hackensack firefighter Bill Raimondo recounted how, as a sixth-grade student in 1996, his class raised $378.50 through a bake sale to support the wheelchair statue campaign. This small act contributed to the eventual $1.65 million raised, demonstrating that change begins with youth engagement. National Park Service Ranger Jennifer Epstein, an education specialist, shared how a young girl’s letter to the White House about her brother in a wheelchair changed her own perspective on the statue’s importance.
Artistic Vision and Memorial Stewardship
Noriko Fujinami, representing sculptor Robert Graham’s estate, described Graham’s intention to convey resilience and optimism through the wheelchair statue. Graham, along with landscape architect Lawrence Halprin and other artists, created a memorial that is tactile, inclusive, and deeply symbolic. The National Park Service continues to steward the site, which attracts 3 million visitors annually.
Closing Reflections
Lachi, a blind recording artist and disability advocate, performed her song 'Lift Me Up,' which she wrote in honor of disability leader Judy Heumann. The song celebrates community, liberation, and the power of visibility. She emphasized that disability is not weakness but a source of cultural strength and that FDR’s legacy lives on in the ongoing fight for dignity and inclusion.
Watch the Youtube video here: https://youtu.be/KuQRaBHFoPc?si=GlWzvJ4lFgzXVx5u
Read the transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WHAxHDCIYOjd_QNGVTXnueyn7kCCcg-O/view?usp=sharing