U.S. poet and journalist Mark O'Brien (1949-1999) contracted polio and subsequently lived in an iron lung for four decades. O'Brien's bid to lose his virginity provides the storyline for The Sessions.
Writing Disability in Australia
| Type of disability | Poliomyelitis. |
| Type of character | Primary. |
| Point of view | Third person. |
Note: director Ben Lewin contracted polio as a six-year-old, and uses crutches for mobility.
