In today's video: can a disabled person become president of the United States of America?

And how many disabled presidents have there already been?

If you love learning more about the history you weren't taught in school

- that's the queer/disabled stuff

Then I suggest you subscribe to me and check out my 'historical profiles' playlist

where you'll find lots more videos like this one.

In 2001, when George W Bush became president, many people asked whether he might have a

learning disability like dyslexia due to his frequent mispronunciations and malapropisms.

, resulting in nonsensical- and likely humorous- speech. They often occur as errors in natural

speech and are more common in people who have dyslexia or similar conditions where the brain

is wired slightly differently to the norm.

The name comes from the character “Mrs Malaprop” in the 1775 play The Rivals by Richard Brinsley

Sheridan. Mrs Malaprop constantly misspeaks to comic effect by using words which don't

have the meaning she intends but sound similar to the one she's reaching for. Her name

is a reference to the word malapropos, an adjective or adverb meaning “inappropriate”

or “inappropriately”, derived from the French phrase 'mal a propos'

[babbles in french]

[french accent] 'mal a propos'

- yes, that WAS my attempt at a French accent.

Don't judge me: I'm deaf.

- And I will play that card whenever I need to

Whilst Bush never confirmed his having dyslexia, and in fact actively denied it, this isn't

very surprising. Yes, we now live in a time when a disability, either visual or invisible,

can be identified and diagnosed properly, but this wouldn't be the first time a president

has hidden having one. Not that I'm saying he actually does have dyslexia.

- Public Service Announcement: do not make assumptions about people's medical records

Unless they're a dead President.

Information on the Presidents I'm talking about here has been released to the public

either during or after their term. It's more than just speculating to your friends

about that kid at school you're not very keen on.

Which is gossip.

Look at that, a winding path I led you down just for a PSA.

And so I can gossip about dead Presidents.

Most people think of Franklin D. Roosevelt when the term 'disabled president' comes

up but there have actually been a long line of Presidents with a variety of disabilities,

including hearing loss and epilepsy.

For the majority of these men-

- and they're obviously all men. just saying.

For the majority of these men, publicly acknowledging their disability during their lifetime was

discouraged but I think it's important that we celebrate them today, to show that being

disabled doesn't make you lesser and it doesn't stop you from achieving or leading.

Indeed the very first president of the United States of America, George Washington, struggled

with what would likely today be diagnosed as a form of dyslexia. He struggled with spelling

and grammar and taught himself to correct the problem to a degree. But it didn't stop

him from being the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary

War and clearly no one cared about stupid old spellings when he was unanimously elected

as the first President.

I mean that certainly makes my little dyslexic heart happy!

Other Presidents believed to have dyslexia were:

Thomas Jefferson, who also had a stutter, a personal library containing thousands of

books and authored the Declaration of Independence.

Woodrow Wilson, who could barely read by the age of 10 but was a great talker and adept

in the art of debate, which led to him studying law, becoming president of Princeton University

and later the 28th President of the United States. He also suffered a stroke whilst in

office that left him partially paralyzed.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, who pushed past dyslexia to become a five-star general, President of

Columbia University and 34th President of the United States.

And John F. Kennedy. Who does not share my initials, even though people keep telling

me they're the same.

[error sfx]

JFK also had chronic back pain from an accident whilst he was at Harvard college. The injury

it left him with was so severe that it initially disqualified him from military service until

his father pulled some strings so he could join the navy reserve. He battled through

injury to be awarded the Purple Heart and the World War II Victory Medal. Serving in

both the House of Representatives and the Senate-

- which, can't lie, as a Brit, I'm still a little bit fuzzy on what the difference

is there… please explain like I'm a child.

He became the 35th President of the United States in 1960.

It wasn't just learning difficulties like dyslexia that presidents dealt with however,

40th President Ronald Reagan was incredibly nearsighted to the extent that he always had

to sit in the front row of classrooms. He chose not to correct it however and instead

when giving speeches wore a contact lens in just one eye so he could observe audience

reactions whilst reading his notes with other other eye.

I imagine not at the same time. Still genius!

He also wore a hearing aid due to an accident on set as a young actor when someone let a

gun off too close to his head.

Guns: they are dangerous.

Bill Clinton also wore a hearing aid as he dealt with a high-frequency hearing loss.

It didn't stop him becoming 42nd President of the United States OR playing saxophone.

In earlier times, James Madison, who proposed the first twelve amendments of the Constitution,

became the 4th President and was so bright he completed college in just two years, dealt

with epilepsy his entire life. Did that stop him? No.

- Can you see where this video is going?

Even very famous President Abraham Lincoln

(look Americans, there are only a handful of your Presidents the rest of the world can

name, so?)

dealt with a health condition. It is believed he suffered from Marfan Syndrome, which is

a genetic disorder of the connective tissues so yay some representation for my connective

tissue issue chums! Lincoln also battled depression so severe it caused incapacitating physical

ailments. But it didn't stop him being a lawyer, a member of the House of Representatives

and President during the American Civil War.

Illnesses can inspire Presidents, as Theodore Roosevelt proved: he was nearsighted and experienced

severe bronchial asthma as a child that stunted his physical growth. He used this to spur

himself on and lived a strenuous life, enjoying nature and serving as lieutenant colonel of

the Rough Rider Regiment (which is nice to say) during the Spanish-American War and,

obviously, later becoming President of the United States. This physically punishing lifestyle

wasn't always a great idea however as during a boxing match he detached a retina which

resulted in blindness. So…

- “Boxing: why do that?”

What a hot take(!)

It was his fifth cousin and 32nd President who really proved what it takes to overcome

physical adversity however. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was partially paralyzed by polio

in 1921 but became president just 11 years later, served an unprecedented four terms

and led the USA out of the Great Depression and to victory in World War II. He's a big

deal.

Although dealing with the crippling pain and paralysis of the disease was difficult many

believe that this is what helped shape him both as a man and as a president.

However, he was determined to be judged on his merits and not seen as just 'the disabled

president' so was rarely photographed in his wheelchair and he rarely transferred from

chairs or vehicles in front of the public.

FDR was born on January 30th 1882 in the Hudson Valley town of Hyde Park, New York, to businessman

James Roosevelt I and his second wife, Sara Ann Delano. His parents, who were sixth cousins-

a trend we'll see reappear later- both came from wealthy old families.

Growing up he learnt to ride, shoot, row, play polo and lawn tennis. In his teen years

he took up golf and was very skilled becoming club champion in his late teen years at the

gold club on Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada, where his family had a summer cottage.

I say cottage but I imagine it was very large.

He was an average student and athlete but whilst at Harvard University became editor-in-chief

of daily newspaper The Harvard Crimson, showing great energy, ambition and the ability to

manage others.

Franklin began courting his future wife Eleanor Roosevelt, with whom he had been acquainted

as a child. They were fifth cousins, once removed, and she was the niece of President

Theodore Roosevelt. They were married in March 1905, despite his mother, Sara, protesting

that Franklin was too young and attempting to break up the couple. Although she liked

Eleanor enough she was fiercely possessive of her son and insisted that they move in

to the family estate with her after the wedding. She also, along with Franklin, planned, built

and furnished a townhouse in New York City…

With a twin house for herself right next door!

Eleanor never quite felt at home in either of these houses but loved the family's vacation

home on Campobello Island, which Sara gave to the young couple outright. It was here,

on Campobello Island, however that Franklin manifested the symptoms of deadly polio.

During the summer of 1921, Franklin, who by this point had been a State Senator and Assistant

Secretary to the Navy along with having run for Vice President, was enjoying a day of

sailing on his yacht when suddenly he could no longer stand and slipped overboard in icy

waters. The following day he was troubled by lower back pain and went for a swim in

hopes of easing the soreness. As the day progressed however he felt his legs become weaker and

by the third day he could no longer hold his own weight. His skin quickly became very sensitive

and eventually even a slight breeze across his body caused great pain.

Eleanor could not bear to see her beloved husband in such distress and contacted a number

of doctors hoping one would be able to diagnose and remedy his illness. It took over a month

before he was diagnosed in late August of that year with infantile paralysis, otherwise

known as polio.

- The 'infantile' part of that name probably gives you a clue as to why they didn't think

about it straight away!

It was uncommon for a middle aged person (at the time Franklin was 39) to contract polio.

Most cases of the disease were acquired during infancy with the majority of children becoming

immune by the age of four. At the time, polio had no known cure and often resulted in full

or partial paralysis and the erosion of motor skills. Dr Robert Lovett, an expert on the

disease, suggested that Franklin take hot baths to ease his pain and told the couple

that in order for a person to combat polio and develop immunity to the disease they must

be in good emotional and physical health with a good immune system. Franklin thought back

to his youth and realised that he had actually been frequently ill and had been leading a

stressful life in politics over the last years that may have weakened his immunity.

He thus decided to remove himself from political life in order to begin his rehabilitation

at home in Hyde Park, New York. He swam three times a week, recognising that his legs could

support the weight of his body in water and that this meant it was a good way to build

up strength. By the winter his arms had regained strength and his nervous system was functioning

normally whilst his stomach and lower back were slowly improving.

His legs had not recovered well and in January Franklin was fitted with leg braces that locked

at the knee and allowed him to stand with help. He believed he would one day be able

to walk again if he just continued exercising and insisted that he be surrounded by “good

cheer” throughout rehabilitation.

Not one to slack, Franklin made physiotherapy exercises part of his social schedule and

had friends join him for company as he exercised. He also involved his children and family with

his daily rehabilitation. Whilst it was difficult for them at first they eventually became comfortable

and even proactively involved themselves with his recovery.

His wife Eleanor recalled in her autobiography: “The perfect naturalness with which the

children accepted his limitations, though they had always known him as an active person,

helped him tremendously in his own acceptance of them.”

During his rehabilitation process he was contacted by a friend who knew a man cured of polio

by the “healing waters” of a place called Warm Springs in Georgia. the state. The resort's

water came from a mountain and was known to be both extremely pure and rich in mineral

content.

Ultimately the waters did not cure him, but they definitely helped and, when in 1926 the

resort was having financial issues Franklin stepped in and bought the facility, transforming

it into a rehabilitation centre for polio patients like himself.

Although his efforts and exercises paid off he remained semi-paraplegic. Despite his faith

that he would one day walk again he gave himself a personal ultimatum: he either needed to

accept himself as he was and return to politics or else give up his political dreams and push

himself harder to recover. His stubborn confidence and belief that he could help others by taking

office (along with his wife's support) led him to resume his political career.

His mother wasn't very pleased but… she probably wouldn't have been unless he was

in a bubble of cotton wool and stuck firmly to her side.

Although there were public rumours about his health and physical state, not many people

knew exactly what had happened to FDR and he was unsure, as he made his way back into

political life, how the public would react to his disability.

During the 1920s disabled people were treated poorly, often abandoned in asylums, hidden

from public view and disregarded by their family. It was thought that disabled people

were not employable and had no place in society.