Fact #1a- The accessible version of the White House website is no longer in existence.
Fact #1b- Just over 7 million people in the US have visual impairments and thus are candidates for using a screen reader, which only works on accessible websites. {credit: National Federation of the Blind}
Fact #1c- In college, I interned at a non-profit (Federation for Children with Special Needs) and eventually became full-time staff. During the almost four years I worked there, I learned about many disabilities and their related accommodations/assistive technology. I specifically remember creating large print materials for the conference I helped to manage and visiting another non-profit in our building to see how various assistive technology worked.
Fact #2a- American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are no longer present at White House Press Briefings. See letter from National Association of the Deaf.
Fact #2b- About 11 million people in the US identify as deaf or hard of hearing. {credit: National Deaf Center}
Fact #2c- My stepdaughter Grace has Down syndrome and she has a hearing impairment. She's completely deaf in her right ear (NOTE: if you ever meet her, sit on her left!) and has partial loss in her left ear. When she was born, my husband and Grace's mom along with other family members learned ASL (and Grace learned, as well) in order to communicate with her until she could speak.
Fact #3- On February 25, 2025, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave a briefing. At approximately the 5 minute/40 second mark, in the context of the President being accessible, she said,
The president, and this entire White House, are committed to ensuring the American people continue to receive this same level of historic transparency, access and visibility. In fact, we want to double down and give even greater access to the American people.
{credit: briefing transcript, briefing video}
