Hello lovely people,
In today’s video: can a disabled person become president of the United States of America?
And how many disabled presidents have there already been?
If you love learning more about the history you weren’t taught in school
- that’s the queer/disabled stuff
Then I suggest you subscribe to me and check out my ‘historical profiles’ playlist
where you’ll find lots more videos like this one.
In 2001, when George W Bush became president, many people asked whether he might have a
learning disability like dyslexia due to his frequent mispronunciations and malapropisms.
, resulting in nonsensical- and likely humorous- speech. They often occur as errors in natural
speech and are more common in people who have dyslexia or similar conditions where the brain
is wired slightly differently to the norm.
The name comes from the character “Mrs Malaprop” in the 1775 play The Rivals by Richard Brinsley
Sheridan. Mrs Malaprop constantly misspeaks to comic effect by using words which don’t
have the meaning she intends but sound similar to the one she’s reaching for. Her name
is a reference to the word malapropos, an adjective or adverb meaning “inappropriate”
or “inappropriately”, derived from the French phrase ‘mal a propos’
[babbles in french]
[french accent] ‘mal a propos’
- yes, that WAS my attempt at a French accent.
Don’t judge me: I’m deaf.
- And I will play that card whenever I need to
Whilst Bush never confirmed his having dyslexia, and in fact actively denied it, this isn’t
very surprising. Yes, we now live in a time when a disability, either visual or invisible,
can be identified and diagnosed properly, but this wouldn’t be the first time a president
has hidden having one. Not that I’m saying he actually does have dyslexia.
- Public Service Announcement: do not make assumptions about people’s medical records
Unless they’re a dead President.
Information on the Presidents I’m talking about here has been released to the public
either during or after their term. It’s more than just speculating to your friends
about that kid at school you’re not very keen on.
Which is gossip.
Look at that, a winding path I led you down just for a PSA.
And so I can gossip about dead Presidents.
Most people think of Franklin D. Roosevelt when the term ‘disabled president’ comes
up but there have actually been a long line of Presidents with a variety of disabilities,
including hearing loss and epilepsy.
For the majority of these men-
- and they’re obviously all men. just saying.
For the majority of these men, publicly acknowledging their disability during their lifetime was
discouraged but I think it’s important that we celebrate them today, to show that being
disabled doesn’t make you lesser and it doesn’t stop you from achieving or leading.
Indeed the very first president of the United States of America, George Washington, struggled
with what would likely today be diagnosed as a form of dyslexia. He struggled with spelling
and grammar and taught himself to correct the problem to a degree. But it didn’t stop
him from being the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary
War and clearly no one cared about stupid old spellings when he was unanimously elected
as the first President.
I mean that certainly makes my little dyslexic heart happy!
Other Presidents believed to have dyslexia were:
Thomas Jefferson, who also had a stutter, a personal library containing thousands of
books and authored the Declaration of Independence.
Woodrow Wilson, who could barely read by the age of 10 but was a great talker and adept
in the art of debate, which led to him studying law, becoming president of Princeton University
and later the 28th President of the United States. He also suffered a stroke whilst in
office that left him partially paralyzed.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, who pushed past dyslexia to become a five-star general, President of
Columbia University and 34th President of the United States.
And John F. Kennedy. Who does not share my initials, even though people keep telling
me they’re the same.
[error sfx]
JFK also had chronic back pain from an accident whilst he was at Harvard college. The injury
it left him with was so severe that it initially disqualified him from military service until
his father pulled some strings so he could join the navy reserve. He battled through
injury to be awarded the Purple Heart and the World War II Victory Medal. Serving in
both the House of Representatives and the Senate-
- which, can’t lie, as a Brit, I’m still a little bit fuzzy on what the difference
is there… please explain like I’m a child.
He became the 35th President of the United States in 1960.
It wasn’t just learning difficulties like dyslexia that presidents dealt with however,
40th President Ronald Reagan was incredibly nearsighted to the extent that he always had
to sit in the front row of classrooms. He chose not to correct it however and instead
when giving speeches wore a contact lens in just one eye so he could observe audience
reactions whilst reading his notes with other other eye.
I imagine not at the same time. Still genius!
He also wore a hearing aid due to an accident on set as a young actor when someone let a
gun off too close to his head.
Guns: they are dangerous.
Bill Clinton also wore a hearing aid as he dealt with a high-frequency hearing loss.
It didn’t stop him becoming 42nd President of the United States OR playing saxophone.
In earlier times, James Madison, who proposed the first twelve amendments of the Constitution,
became the 4th President and was so bright he completed college in just two years, dealt
with epilepsy his entire life. Did that stop him? No.
- Can you see where this video is going?
Even very famous President Abraham Lincoln
(look Americans, there are only a handful of your Presidents the rest of the world can
name, so?)
dealt with a health condition. It is believed he suffered from Marfan Syndrome, which is
a genetic disorder of the connective tissues so yay some representation for my connective
tissue issue chums! Lincoln also battled depression so severe it caused incapacitating physical
ailments. But it didn’t stop him being a lawyer, a member of the House of Representatives
and President during the American Civil War.
Illnesses can inspire Presidents, as Theodore Roosevelt proved: he was nearsighted and experienced
severe bronchial asthma as a child that stunted his physical growth. He used this to spur
himself on and lived a strenuous life, enjoying nature and serving as lieutenant colonel of
the Rough Rider Regiment (which is nice to say) during the Spanish-American War and,
obviously, later becoming President of the United States. This physically punishing lifestyle
wasn’t always a great idea however as during a boxing match he detached a retina which
resulted in blindness. So…
- “Boxing: why do that?”
What a hot take(!)
It was his fifth cousin and 32nd President who really proved what it takes to overcome
physical adversity however. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was partially paralyzed by polio
in 1921 but became president just 11 years later, served an unprecedented four terms
and led the USA out of the Great Depression and to victory in World War II. He’s a big
deal.
Although dealing with the crippling pain and paralysis of the disease was difficult many
believe that this is what helped shape him both as a man and as a president.
However, he was determined to be judged on his merits and not seen as just ‘the disabled
president’ so was rarely photographed in his wheelchair and he rarely transferred from
chairs or vehicles in front of the public.
FDR was born on January 30th 1882 in the Hudson Valley town of Hyde Park, New York, to businessman
James Roosevelt I and his second wife, Sara Ann Delano. His parents, who were sixth cousins-
a trend we’ll see reappear later- both came from wealthy old families.
Growing up he learnt to ride, shoot, row, play polo and lawn tennis. In his teen years
he took up golf and was very skilled becoming club champion in his late teen years at the
gold club on Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada, where his family had a summer cottage.
I say cottage but I imagine it was very large.
He was an average student and athlete but whilst at Harvard University became editor-in-chief
of daily newspaper The Harvard Crimson, showing great energy, ambition and the ability to
manage others.
Franklin began courting his future wife Eleanor Roosevelt, with whom he had been acquainted
as a child. They were fifth cousins, once removed, and she was the niece of President
Theodore Roosevelt. They were married in March 1905, despite his mother, Sara, protesting
that Franklin was too young and attempting to break up the couple. Although she liked
Eleanor enough she was fiercely possessive of her son and insisted that they move in
to the family estate with her after the wedding. She also, along with Franklin, planned, built
and furnished a townhouse in New York City…
With a twin house for herself right next door!
Eleanor never quite felt at home in either of these houses but loved the family’s vacation
home on Campobello Island, which Sara gave to the young couple outright. It was here,
on Campobello Island, however that Franklin manifested the symptoms of deadly polio.
During the summer of 1921, Franklin, who by this point had been a State Senator and Assistant
Secretary to the Navy along with having run for Vice President, was enjoying a day of
sailing on his yacht when suddenly he could no longer stand and slipped overboard in icy
waters. The following day he was troubled by lower back pain and went for a swim in
hopes of easing the soreness. As the day progressed however he felt his legs become weaker and
by the third day he could no longer hold his own weight. His skin quickly became very sensitive
and eventually even a slight breeze across his body caused great pain.
Eleanor could not bear to see her beloved husband in such distress and contacted a number
of doctors hoping one would be able to diagnose and remedy his illness. It took over a month
before he was diagnosed in late August of that year with infantile paralysis, otherwise
known as polio.
- The ‘infantile’ part of that name probably gives you a clue as to why they didn’t think
about it straight away!
It was uncommon for a middle aged person (at the time Franklin was 39) to contract polio.
Most cases of the disease were acquired during infancy with the majority of children becoming
immune by the age of four. At the time, polio had no known cure and often resulted in full
or partial paralysis and the erosion of motor skills. Dr Robert Lovett, an expert on the
disease, suggested that Franklin take hot baths to ease his pain and told the couple
that in order for a person to combat polio and develop immunity to the disease they must
be in good emotional and physical health with a good immune system. Franklin thought back
to his youth and realised that he had actually been frequently ill and had been leading a
stressful life in politics over the last years that may have weakened his immunity.
He thus decided to remove himself from political life in order to begin his rehabilitation
at home in Hyde Park, New York. He swam three times a week, recognising that his legs could
support the weight of his body in water and that this meant it was a good way to build
up strength. By the winter his arms had regained strength and his nervous system was functioning
normally whilst his stomach and lower back were slowly improving.
His legs had not recovered well and in January Franklin was fitted with leg braces that locked
at the knee and allowed him to stand with help. He believed he would one day be able
to walk again if he just continued exercising and insisted that he be surrounded by “good
cheer” throughout rehabilitation.
Not one to slack, Franklin made physiotherapy exercises part of his social schedule and
had friends join him for company as he exercised. He also involved his children and family with
his daily rehabilitation. Whilst it was difficult for them at first they eventually became comfortable
and even proactively involved themselves with his recovery.
His wife Eleanor recalled in her autobiography: “The perfect naturalness with which the
children accepted his limitations, though they had always known him as an active person,
helped him tremendously in his own acceptance of them.”
During his rehabilitation process he was contacted by a friend who knew a man cured of polio
by the “healing waters” of a place called Warm Springs in Georgia. the state. The resort’s
water came from a mountain and was known to be both extremely pure and rich in mineral
content.
Ultimately the waters did not cure him, but they definitely helped and, when in 1926 the
resort was having financial issues Franklin stepped in and bought the facility, transforming
it into a rehabilitation centre for polio patients like himself.
Although his efforts and exercises paid off he remained semi-paraplegic. Despite his faith
that he would one day walk again he gave himself a personal ultimatum: he either needed to
accept himself as he was and return to politics or else give up his political dreams and push
himself harder to recover. His stubborn confidence and belief that he could help others by taking
office (along with his wife’s support) led him to resume his political career.
His mother wasn’t very pleased but… she probably wouldn’t have been unless he was
in a bubble of cotton wool and stuck firmly to her side.
Although there were public rumours about his health and physical state, not many people
knew exactly what had happened to FDR and he was unsure, as he made his way back into
political life, how the public would react to his disability.
During the 1920s disabled people were treated poorly, often abandoned in asylums, hidden
from public view and disregarded by their family. It was thought that disabled people
were not employable and had no place in society.
It must have been incredibly difficult to stay strong emotionally and risk his cheery
confidence whilst making his way back into the public eye. BUT although people were curious
about his condition American citizens appeared more sympathetic than embarrassed. This acceptance
helped Franklin’s good cheer and he ran for governor of New York in 1928. Clearly
his disability did not affect voters as he held the governorship for two terms until
starting a run for President in the 1932 election.
Franklin’s political advisors feared that his opponents would call him names and use
his disability against him but it was never brought up as a problem throughout his 1932
campaign and did not affect public support for him.
In private Franklin used a wheelchair that he had personally designed as the chairs of
the time were one-size-fits-all, bulky and difficult to get around in.
- bringing back my NHS wheelchair memories...
Buildings at the time were not generally wheelchair accessible because…
- why would they be? They actively disliked disabled people being around.
Therefore Franklin needed something small, efficient and discreet. He took a dining chair
and added small bicycle wheels, backwards to the large back wheels and smaller front
wheels that we see today. This meant not only that the chair was small and could more around
tight corners but that there was less chair between Franklin and a person standing in
front of him. It had the added benefit of being made from an object people were used
to seeing in their own houses and thus didn’t call a lot of attention.
It cannot be said that he was completely comfortable being open about his situation. Although his
disability did not directly interfere with his role as President it was assumed that
foreign powers, and even his own people, would see his paralysis as weakness rather than
seeing the strength it took for someone to come back from such an illness and still take
public office.
When giving a speech in public Franklin could have chosen to navigate the stage in his wheelchair
but he never wanted to give Americans the impression that he was helpless. Instead,
to give the impression that he could walk, he would traverse the stage wearing leg braces
under his trousers and using a cane on one side whilst holding the arm of another person
on his other. By swinging his hips he could sway his legs forwards and thus give the impression
he was walking. He knew that for the public to see his capable mind they would need to
be able to look past his frail body.
It 100% would not have worked with today’s cameras and media picking everything apart
that our politicians do but it was more the idea of strength that the public needed. He
was greatly helped by the press who accepted the White House’s request to avoid photographing
him walking, maneuvering or transferring from vehicles. The Secret Service purposely interfered
with anyone attempting to take a photo of the president in a ‘weak’ state.
Although returning to politics meant he had put his own recovery on the back burner, Franklin
made sure to centre helping others who suffered from polio. In 1934, after funding issues
arose with his polio hydrotherapy centre Warm Springs he held a Birthday Ball, encouraged
donations and in one night raised one million dollars to keep the centre open. In 1938 he
created the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis which funded research for the Salk
vaccine to treat polio. Thanks to a successful vaccination programme polio went from 35,000
cases in the 1940s, to 15,000 cases in the 1950s, to 100 cases in the 1960s to just 10
in the 1970s and since then The United States of America is polio free.
- which is not a reason to not vaccinate your children, for christ sake!
FDR’s wife Eleanor called his disability a ‘blessing in disguise’ as it helped
him to look at the bigger picture rather than focusing on small and unimportant things.
Everything he achieved was so much harder fought than other people realised. The way
Franklin confidently viewed himself, as a person, a politician and a father, rather
than just an invalid to be frowned upon and locked away, helped to change America’s
view of disabled people.
He was the only President to serve for more than two terms, he steered the country out
of the Great Depression and through the Second World War and he became a symbol of strength
and perseverance.
There is a lovely quote from him in Eleanor Roosevelt’s book, You Learn By Living:
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop
to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this
horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’…You must do the thing you think
you cannot do”
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