Ida May Daly, born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, developed muscular dystrophy at age three. While this progressive disease weakened her muscles and confined her to a wheelchair in her thirties, it challenged her to become a tireless advocate for people with disabilities. In the 1950s, she worked with the Seattle Parks Department to found and run the Handicapped Center, which provided arts, crafts and social activities.

Daly was also instrumental in the design of Center Park, the first apartment complex in the nation built solely for residents with physical disabilities. She went on to found and run Creative Activities for the Physically Disabled, a center in Seattle's Mount Baker area. Daly received numerous local, state, and national awards for her work.

Caption information source: “It’s Like Coming Home: A Dream Come True for Handicapped”, by Lettie Gavin, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 20, 1979, page A3.
Caption information source: “Ida Daly, friend of handicapped”, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 1, 1985, page D2.
Caption information source: “Implementing the ADA in Seattle”, Seattle Municipal Archives, www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/digital-document-libraries/implementing-the-ada-in-Seattle. Retrieved March 20, 2026.