Ida Curtis

My Polio Memoir: 1953-2016 Ida Curtis

I was eighteen and diagnosed with polio. My only symptoms were a headache, high temperature, and the inability to eat. I soon discovered I was unable to move my arms. After a time, I was moved to Newington Home and Hospital for Crippled Children for treatment by physiotherapists, making friends in a ward of twelve girls, attending high school in a bed, and graduating from High School. During that time, 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. The second part tells of my life in a wheelchair. I attended college, married, and had two children. My husband and I lived in eight different states and in British Columbia, Canada. The need to find accessible housing with each move was a challenge. In the last chapter I tell of the changes in views about what people with disabilities can accomplish and the changes in legislation that make all aspects of life more accessible.