What a difference a week (or so) can make. As of Monday, we had heat in our home again. And not just heat, but heat delivered via modern equipment. Our old boiler was the building’s original, complete with coal chute. This week started off with a huge improvement over the last two weeks. And today? 45 has left the building. We have a new, more presidential President. Along with our first Vice President who is a woman, African-American, and Asian-American. A great day of firsts.
On this day in 2009, I waited in line outside, in the cold, to get into the Riverview Theater. The energy was off the charts as a packed house watched Obama and Biden be sworn in. Such different circumstances today, in the midst of a pandemic. I watched today’s inauguration alone, at home, on my laptop. Though I was thrilled to see firefighter Andrea Hall leading the Pledge Of Allegiance, spoken and in sign language. Not only did they have measures in place for an accessible inauguration, the Biden-Harris Administration has a “plan for full participation and equality for people with disabilities.” And the Whitehouse commits to WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and accepting comments from the community on how to improve accessibility. A nice change of pace from the outgoing president, who outright mocked people with disabilities. That doesn’t mean our work is done. It isn’t time to sit back and relax. We still need to hold our politicians accountable and ensure that they follow through to do right by the people in this country. Prioritize the pandemic and economic relief, and work to undo the damage that has been done over the past four years. But for today? I am content to unclench my jaw and breathe a sigh of relief.
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