The 1960s are often regarded as the beginning of the Disability Rights Movement, but Americans with disabilities, particularly New Yorkers, had been calling for their rights for years before.

LEAGUE OF THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED

In 1935, as a response to a “formal, but secret” Work Progress Administration (WPA) policy that referred to people with disabilities as “unemployables,” rights activists formed the League of the Physically Handicapped in New York City — the first direct-action disability advocacy group in the nation. The League’s unforgettable, recurring protests and civic disruptions pushed WPA officials to alter their procurement and hiring protocols.

Members of the League of the Physically Handicapped protesting in Washington, D.C.
Members of the League of the Physically Handicapped protesting in Washington, D.C. "The Skyland Post", June 25, 1936. Image courtesy of Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
MARCH OF DIMES

Polio can induce severe neurological disorders, permanent paralysis, and significant mobility limitations. Former New York Governor and United States President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was diagnosed with polio at 39 years old. Roosevelt and one of his advisors, Basil O’Connor, founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) in New York. NFIP is known today as the March of Dimes organization. In 1955, a March of Dimes grant helped fund the creation of a polio vaccine.

Marguerite “Missy” LeHand opening letters
Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, personal secretary to President Roosevelt, is shown opening some of the 30,000 letters containing ten-cent contributions to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, January 28, 1938. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

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