Comparing FDR and Obama
by Katy
I’ve been very lucky to be involved in the disability rights movement for more than 20 years. I work in Washington, D.C., and when the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial was completed here, I gained a better appreciation of that president’s legacy as a role model for people with disabilities. Literally hundreds of people with disabilities have told me that their parents said if FDR could be president, they could be, too. Today, millions of African American parents are having the same conversation with their kids.
I am especially optimistic about one aspect of the Obama presidency: education. President-elect Obama is the product of a caring family, the potential for learning, and opportunities to demonstrate his abilities. My hope is that his leadership will result in expanding similar opportunities for students with disabilities.