Thread by @AAPD

From the Pledge of Allegiance being signed & spoken simultaneously to the presence of the powerful Amanda Gorman to the President himself, both people with speech disabilities, disability was represented as a part of American culture & politics during #InaugurationDay Thread 1/7

Andrea Hall was the 1st Black woman hired and assigned to a station at the City of Albany Fire Department, & then the 1st Black woman to serve as fire captain at Fulton County Fire Rescue. She presented the Pledge of Allegiance in ASL & spoken English npr.org/sections/inaug… 2/7

Jennifer Lopez, who sung an amazing mashup of “This Land is Your Land,” “Let’s Get Loud,” and “America the Beautiful” has a history of anxiety and depression. us.hola.com/celebrities/20… #Inauguration2021 3/7

Lady Gaga, who sang a passionate rendition of the national anthem, has multiple disabilities. She manages chronic pain, anxiety, depression and fibromyalgia. harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/late… 4/7

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who swore in @VP Harris has diabetes and her experience with this disability played a role in her decision to become a judge and in her Supreme Court confirmation process. npr.org/2011/06/21/137… 5/7 #Inauguration

President Biden’s experience as a person who stutters impacts his leadership style and has affected him profoundly. cnn.com/2020/02/05/pol… 6/7 @potus #Inauguration2021

Finally, Amanda Gorman, the Youth Poet Laureate, shares a connection with @POTUS Biden. She also has a speech disability.

vanityfair.com/style/2021/01/…

#Inauguration2021 7/7