The disability trivia of 'The White House'

the white house

While Indian history has hardly witnessed any physically/mentally disabled persons as the top gun, and hardly any person in India with such challenge aspire to be one, The White house has housed residents with disabilities, which itself is a paradigm of unfathomable success-persons ruled by disabilities have ruled the super nation! As of Indian parliament, there are special reservations for the differently able ones; the number is too big not to be counted on fingers.In case of The White House, 'Disability is triviality'.

F.D.Roosevelt - a name an American can never forget, the man who stood for America during The World War and laid the foundation for the next superpower -  was a patient of poliomyelitis. However, retrospective study favoured diagnosis of Guillain Barre Syndrome - a rare disorder similar to polio, and relates to dysfunction of autonomic nervous system, found in 1-2 cases for ever 100000 people.On his death, the New York Times quoted, "men will thank God on their knees 100 years from now that F.D.Roosevelt was in the white house".

Ronald Reagan, 40th president of the US, developed hearing impairment during his term as the president.In 1983, he decided to go public wearing small audio-amplifying device.This step of his inspired many across US and those who felt embarrassed going public with such an aid had a change of mindset.That year, the sales of hearing aids boosted largely.

The White House has shared a long History with 'dyslexia', found almost in every 1 out of 6 presidents elected.A person suffering from 'dyslexia' often finds difficulty in writing, reading or even performing simple maths calculations,however, often possesses outside the box thinking, vision, oratory skills, or leadership qualities.

Here's a long list of White house presidents who had or was thought to be suffering from dyslexia:

1. George Washington (1st president)
2. Thomas Jefferson (3rd president)
3. Andrew Jackson (7th president)
4. Woodrow Wilson (28th president)
5. J.F.Kennedy (35th president)
6. Lyndon Johnson (36th president)
7. George Bush Sr. (41st president)
8. George Bush Jr. (43rd president)

Abraham Lincoln

The most cherished American Prez. Abraham Lincoln, suffered from severe depression almost his entire term in the office.His friends had described him as 'the most depressed person ever seen' in their letters on Abraham Lincoln.

Some of his lines in 'The  Suicides Soliloquy' Shows his state of mind:

                         Hell! what is hell to one like me

                         who pleasures never knew,

                         by friends consigned to misery,

                         by hope deserted too?

- Satyagni