USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – The day President Joe Biden was sworn into office, those watching the inauguration saw fire Capt. Andrea Hall, the child of a deaf parent, recite the Pledge of Allegiance – spoken in English and signed.
“Let's just say that's the first time I've ever cried at the pledge,” said Sara Novic, a deaf writer and college instructor based in Philadelphia. “Beyond access, that was representation, and it meant a lot to see her on the big stage as part of the ceremony.”
The next day, White House press secretary Jen Psaki and infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci gave a briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic, and on the White House’s livestream, there was a remote American Sign Language interpreter, providing interpretation for deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans.