National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2015

Proclamation 9336 of September 30, 2015

National Disability Employment Awareness Month,
2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

A quarter century ago, our country took a major step
toward fulfilling the fundamental American promises of
equal access, equal opportunity, and equal respect for
all when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was
made the law of the land. While we have continued to
make advancements that help uphold this basic belief,
we must address the injustices that remain. During
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we
celebrate the ways individuals with disabilities
strengthen our workforce, our communities, and our
country, and we recommit to cultivating an America
where all people are able to build vibrant futures for
themselves and for their families.

Americans with disabilities make up almost one-fifth of
our population, but are unemployed at a rate that is
twice that of people without disabilities; and for
women and minorities with disabilities, the rates are
even higher. Despite all they contribute to our
society, people with disabilities still face
discrimination by employers, limited access to skills
training, and, too often, unfairly low expectations. As
a Nation, we must continue to promote inclusion in the
workplace and to tear down the barriers that remain--in
hearts, in minds, and in policies--to the security and
prosperity that stable jobs provide and that all our
people deserve. And we must actively foster a culture
in which individuals are supported and accepted for who
they are and in which it is okay to disclose one's
disability without fear of discrimination.

My Administration is working to make sure our country
does not let the incredible talents of Americans with
disabilities go to waste. We are working to strengthen
protections against disability-based discrimination in
the workplace and to expand employment possibilities
for people with disabilities--and the Federal
Government is leading by example. I have taken action
to require agencies and Federal contractors to hire
more people with disabilities--and thanks to these
efforts, more Americans with disabilities are in
Federal service than at any point in the last three
decades.

I will continue fighting to widen pathways to
opportunity for individuals with disabilities and
supporting employers in their efforts to increase
disability inclusion. The White House hosted a Summit
on Disability and Employment earlier this year to
provide businesses, philanthropies, and advocates with
information on Federal resources for hiring disabled
individuals. Last year, I was proud to sign the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which
encourages greater coordination across Federal, State,
and local programs to expand access to high-quality
workforce, education, and rehabilitation services. WIOA
also helps youth with disabilities to receive extensive
pre-employment transition services so they can find
positions alongside people without disabilities and get
paid above minimum wage. Additionally, last year I
signed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE)
Act, which allows eligible people with disabilities to
establish tax-free savings accounts.

America is at its strongest when we harness the talents
and celebrate the distinct gifts of all our people.
This October, as we observe the 70th anniversary of
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, let us
pay tribute to all who fought for better laws, demanded
better treatment, and overcame ignorance and
indifference to make our Nation more perfect. In their
honor, and for the betterment of generations of
Americans to come, let us continue the work of removing
obstacles to employment so every American has the
chance to develop their skills and make their unique
mark on the world we share.

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 October 2015 as
National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I urge
all Americans to embrace the talents and skills that
individuals with disabilities bring to our workplaces
and communities and to promote the right to equal
employment opportunity for all people.

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