Check out this picture from the White House Flickr photostream:

Here’s the caption:

President Barack Obama talks with MacKenzie Clare, 14, and the other Girls Scouts after signing the Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act in the Oval Office, Oct. 29, 2009. First Lady Michelle Obama looks on at right. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Once again, I am fascinated by the President and First Lady’s body language. In a guest post for Adventures of a Young Feminist last week, I criticized the writers of Curb Your Enthusiasm for how unrealistic and inaccurate they chose to portray the character of Denise and her interactions with the other characters. Denise couldn’t walk (we never found out why) and used a wheelchair. She briefly dated Larry, the main character, who simply had no idea how to behave around someone with a disability. In fact, he couldn’t really grasp the concept that Denise’s “disability” didn’t preclude her from having feelings, interests and capabilities. Larry just didn’t get that Denise was still a normal human being.

Contrast that with this photo of the Obamas with MacKenzie Clare in the Oval Office. It appears that after signing the bill, President Obama flipped around in his seat to talk to MacKenzie. It looks so casual and natural, just like he would to anyone else who was standing on that side. Mrs. Obama (Can I call her Michelle?) is leaning over the desk, not because she’s bending over to talk to MacKenzie like so many people to do the “wheelchair-bound”, but because she probably can’t hear.

This is an example of how you’re supposed to treat people with disabilities: like human beings. My only real qualm with the photo is that it appears MacKenzie is being singled out to the exclusion of the other girls due to her disability.I hope that’s not the case and that all the girls got some one-one attention from the President and First Lady. Anything else is unfair to MacKenzie. When we’re fourteen, we don’t want to be singled out because we’re different, even if it’s by the president of the United States.

H/T to @veronicaeye who posted this photo to Twitter