Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation is a state-operated comprehensive rehabilitation center located in Warm Springs, Georgia on a beautiful 950 acre campus. Begun by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1927 to treat persons affected by polio, the Institute still remains true to its original mission today "to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve personal independence" as a living legacy to FDR. Each year the Institute provides rehabilitation services to approximately 5,000 individuals with all types of disabilities from all over the United States. In addition to its continuum of rehabilitation services, the Institute also offers the fully-accessible Camp Dream, which is enjoyed by 2,000 disabled campers each year, as well as a year-round Conference Center offering a full array of professional training opportunities. Guided tours of Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation are available weekdays at 11 am and 2 pm.
History Of Roosevelt Warm Springs Inst
The history of the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation is about much more than just President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The history predates FDR, to the Native Americans who first utilized the healing properties of the warm springs, to the pre-Civil War and later Victorian resort era of the late 1800s. However, it was FDR who clearly made the greatest impact. Since FDR's first visit to Warm Springs in 1924 until his death in 1945, he made 41 visits here, and was the driving force for the treatment of polio, polio research and rehabilitation in general; and it was during that time FDR initiated The March of Dimes. Since his passing in 1945, the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation has continued his living legacy, and is now a National Historic Landmark.
