polio survivors
Iron lung graduates
Polio survivors are people who contracted poliomyelitis, typically during the epidemics of the mid-twentieth century, and lived through it.
Many experienced paralysis or muscle weakness that left lasting effects.
Decades later, some develop post-polio syndrome—new weakness and fatigue in muscles affected by the original illness: Polio survivors gathered to advocate for disability rights.
- iron lungBody-encasing mechanical respirator
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
- muscle weaknessReduced contractile capacity
- vaccineDisease prevention injection
- SalkPolio vaccine creator
rehabilitation · braces · crutches · wheelchair · March of Dimes · epidemic · disability · resilience · atrophy · leg · limp · respirator · long-term effects · courage · swimming · swimming pool · FDR · physical therapy
- Disabilitiesblind, paralysis, vision loss, developmental disability, hearing impairment
- Disability StoriesHelen Keller, Stephen Hawking, Beethoven, Stevie Wonder, Frida Kahlo
- Disabled IconsHelen Keller, Stephen Hawking, FDR, Franklin Roosevelt, Frida Kahlo
- patientspatient, inpatients, inpatient, outpatients, outpatient