October 3rd, President Barack Obama with First Lady Michelle Obama

After visiting Georgetown, my husband, Dominic and I decided to have dinner at the Blue Duck Tavern. When we arrived at the restaurant, there were two men from the secret service checking everyone at the door. I didn’t understand why we had to be scanned if we were just having dinner. I asked the hostess and she said there was a “celebrity dining here tonight.” Before we got seated, Dom and I went to the restroom where Dom was accompanied by the secret service in the men’s room and I was accompanied by the hostess in the women’s restroom. When the hostess took us to our table, we had to go through the kitchen where the hostess knocked at the door three times before the secret service opened the kitchen door. The same man who had scanned me earlier at the front door wanted to scan me again. I told him that he had already scanned me so there was no need to do it twice. I felt as though I was being treated differently because I use a wheelchair. I was insistent and did not allow the secret service guy to scan me. So he backed off, acknowledging the fact that he had indeed scanned me already.

We got seated to our table. Fifteen minutes later, I saw First Lady Michelle Obama in a nice evening black dress and behind her was President Barack Obama in a suit without a tie walking 10 feet away from our table. I said to Dom it was “Obama”, and Dom with disbelief on his face said “yeah, right” thinking I was pulling his leg. I told him to turn around and sure enough, Dom saw President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The four of us made eye contacts. Dom in complete coolness nodded at the President while I waived. The President returned a nod to Dom. Then the President and First Lady left the restaurant with several vehicles behind them, one including an ambulance. Dom and I looked at each other with complete satisfaction as one of our dreams became a reality. Of all the US presidents in our lifetime, Dom and I only have wanted to meet President Obama. Why you ask? Because we wanted to thank President Obama for valuing the human rights of people with disabilities internationally. Now that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) has been signed by the US, we hope the Senate will be ratifying it soon.

Later, Dom and I found out that the President and First lady were at the Blue Duck Tavern celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary. Congratulations!