My Polio Memoir: 1953–2016

Part I of My Polio Memoir starts in 1953 when I was eighteen years old and diagnosed with polio at McCook General Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. After a period spent in isolation at McCook, I was moved to Newington Home and Hospital for Crippled Children for treatment. During the two years there, I recovered the ability to use my arms, but not my legs, and met my husband-to-be. Using a wheelchair, I became independent enough to leave the hospital and return to my parents’ home. Part II continues the story and covers a much longer period of time. The second part is about my life using a wheelchair. I attended college, married, and had two children. My husband and I lived in eight different states and in British Columbia, Canada. Our mobile lifestyle meant the need to find accessible housing with each move. In the last chapter I tell of the change in views about what people with disabilities can accomplish and the changes in legislation that make all aspects of life more accessible.