International Day of Persons With Disabilities, 2015

Proclamation 9376 of December 2, 2015

International Day of Persons With Disabilities,
2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The United States has long been a leading voice for the
rights of persons with disabilities, and we join the
international community in expressing our support for
them in all they do and in recognizing them as the
valuable members of society that they are. This year,
as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the passing of
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)--landmark
legislation that helps ensure the places that make up
our shared national life truly belong to everyone--we
also recognize that protecting the rights of those with
disabilities is not just an American ideal, but a
cornerstone of our work to ensure human rights around
the globe. On International Day of Persons with
Disabilities, we rededicate ourselves to building a
fairer and more accessible world and to upholding the
fundamental dignity and respect of all people.

A quarter-century ago, our Nation marked a milestone in
the long march toward achieving equal opportunity for
all with the passage of the ADA. A result of quiet
persistence and perseverance coupled with passionate
and vocal advocacy, this Act showed the world our full
commitment to the rights of people with disabilities,
and in these past 25 years, we have built on the
foundation of equality laid by this law. The Affordable
Care Act also guarantees people with disabilities a
basic but fundamental protection--that they can no
longer be denied access to health insurance due to a
pre-existing condition. Additionally, my Administration
has supported increasing funding for the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants, which
would boost our efforts to provide every child living
with a disability with a quality public education. And
this year, the White House hosted a series of events
commemorating IDEA's 40th anniversary to highlight the
importance of inclusion and of recognizing the talents
of all Americans in every aspect of society.

Each day, our founding values of equality and
opportunity guide our work to forge a bright future for
people with disabilities. Serving to protect these
ideals are our brave men and women in uniform who give
of themselves for us all, and when they return home
with wounds of war, seen or unseen, it is our sacred
obligation to ensure they can take full advantage of
the freedoms they fought so hard to defend. That is why
my Administration has worked to provide our country's
veterans who have disabilities with access to timely,
quality health care and the tools needed to convert
their military skills into careers in civilian life.

As we continue working to expand the promise of America
to all our people, we must remember that the fight for
disability rights should not stop at our Nation's
shores. The United States continues to uphold our
global commitment to the international disability
community. During my first year in office, the United
States signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities, an international declaration, now
signed by 160 countries, that recognizes the inherent
worth of people with disabilities and urges equal
protection and benefits before the law. I am
disappointed that the Senate blocked ratification of
the Convention, and I continue to

call on these elected leaders, all of whom represent
Americans with disabilities, to provide their advice
and consent to ratification. A pillar of American
leadership is our profound respect for the human
dignity of all people, and it is imperative that we
reach for a day when all of the more than 1 billion
people of the world who live with a disability can
enjoy the same rights afforded to those living here at
home.

Our pursuit of equal rights for those with disabilities
is not over. Today, we stand on the shoulders of
generations who fought for better laws, demanded better
treatment, and who, by being good, decent people and
hard workers, proved to the world that having a
disability should not force individuals into the
margins of society. On this day, let us honor the
efforts of those who agitated for the respect and
dignity of all by picking up the inextinguishable torch
of equality and carrying it forward into a future that
recognizes the incredible talents and skills of people
with disabilities. Together, we can secure a tomorrow
in which all people know no limits but the scope of
their dreams.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim December 3, 2015, as
International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I call
on all Americans to observe this day with appropriate
ceremonies, activities, and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
second day of December, in the year of our Lord two
thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and fortieth.