Disabled War Veteran June 1950 Mark Kauffman photographer
World War II Veterans
Moving forward to World War II, a new group of individuals with disabilities would survive. Soldiers that would have been passed over by earlier triage teams because of severe wounds were rescued from the field and treated during WWII. With continued medical advances and the introduction of antibiotics, soldiers with spinal cord injuries survived for the first time. Medical advances were not the only requirement for these soldiers to survive. A rehabilitation process was developed to include the introduction of rigorous physical activity and sport.
Sir Ludwig Guttmann at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England found that offering competitive sport for the veterans with spinal cord injuries was the best way to ensure continued activity and health. Eventually the competitive nature of the sports would spur different groups of individuals with spinal cord injuries to compete internationally. The development of competitive sports among this community led to the present-day Paralympic Games.
Disabled War Veteran June 1950 Mark Kauffman photographer
World War II Veterans
Moving forward to World War II, a new group of individuals with disabilities would survive. Soldiers that would have been passed over by earlier triage teams because of severe wounds were rescued from the field and treated during WWII. With continued medical advances and the introduction of antibiotics, soldiers with spinal cord injuries survived for the first time. Medical advances were not the only requirement for these soldiers to survive. A rehabilitation process was developed to include the introduction of rigorous physical activity and sport.
Sir Ludwig Guttmann at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England found that offering competitive sport for the veterans with spinal cord injuries was the best way to ensure continued activity and health. Eventually the competitive nature of the sports would spur different groups of individuals with spinal cord injuries to compete internationally. The development of competitive sports among this community led to the present-day Paralympic Games.