President Obama Demonstrates Disability Cultural Literacy

The President and the First lady are the first leaders of this nation, in my lifetime, to personally demonstrate that they can speak directly to a def person in sign. (Video)

When people, including me, talk about cultural literacy they are usually talking about ethnic groups or Nations. As a general rule most President's are culturally illiterate regarding most of the groups in this country except their own.  This President repeatedly breaks this rule.

This is truly hart warming, the disability community is one of the nation's groups about which most Americans have almost no cultural literacy.But this President has publicly raised the bar without saying a word.

Let's Go to the Video Tape:






Just in case you are wondering the first lady signs too. for full details on this story Click Here These are good practical examples of Cultural Health in action. Think about it, the largest poly-ethnic group in America and you and I can't even say hello or thank you in their language, how can that be?

The President raised my cultural literacy and I have disabled children . What did I learn; that ASL means American Sign language. I know I leaned that before this, but this time it really sunk in. An American President should be able to speak an American language, at least a little. That goes for us citizens too.

I realized that even after seeing him I did not know how he said "thank you"in ASL. So I turned to my trusty Iphone and asked Siri," how do you say thank you in sign language". She said just a minute, working on that and then took me to a video. Click Here

I went on to lean "what's up" a sort of hello. I will ask my daughter her learned to sign from a schoolmate how to say the formal "Hello"

As a part of my cultural Literacy effort I learned  to say hello in many different languages from African to Asian, now I have added ASL. It is amazing how people automatically understand you care and respect  them if you have taken the time to lean something of their language.

What a beautiful day, The President has helped you raise your Cultural Literacy today. Now you know how to stay "thank you" in ASL Too +[;-)