White Cane Safety Day, 2010

Proclamation 8588 of October 15, 2010

White Cane Safety Day, 2010

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The white cane, in addition to being a practical
mobility tool, serves as a symbol of dignity, freedom,
and independence for individuals who are blind or
visually impaired. On White Cane Safety Day, our Nation
celebrates the immeasurable contributions the Americans
who use canes have made as valued members of our
diverse country. We also examine our progress and
recommit to full integration, equality, education, and
opportunity for Americans with visual impairments.

Today, students with disabilities are reaching
achievements considered unattainable just a few decades
ago. Many gains have been realized throughout our
educational system, but we must accomplish more so that
America's technological advances and assistive tools
are available for the benefit of all students. My
Administration is committed to ensuring that electronic
readers and other electronic equipment used by schools,
including postsecondary institutions, are accessible to
individuals who are blind or visually impaired. We are
also providing guidance and technical assistance to
help colleges and universities fully comply with the
legal requirements to use emerging technology that is
accessible to all students in the classroom. Blindness
and visual impairments are not impediments to obtaining
knowledge, and we must highlight the availability of
existing tools to facilitate communication and work to
improve access to them. Additionally, the Braille code
opens doors of literacy and learning to countless
individuals with visual impairments across our country
and around the world, and we must work with advocates
and leaders throughout our society to promote and
improve Braille literacy among our students.

Americans with disabilities are Americans first and
foremost, entitled to both full participation in our
society and full opportunity in our economy. My
Administration is working to increase information
access so Americans who are blind or visually impaired
can fully participate in our increasingly
interconnected world. To expand career options for
people with disabilities in the Federal Government, I
signed an Executive Order directing executive
departments and agencies to design strategies to
increase recruitment and hiring of these valued public
servants. I was also pleased to sign the Twenty-First
Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act into
law earlier this month to ensure that the jobs of the
future are accessible to all. This legislation will
make it easier for people who are deaf, blind, or live
with a visual impairment to use the technology our
21st-century economy depends on, from navigating
digital menus on a television to sending emails on a
smart phone.

As we observe the 20th anniversary of the Americans
with Disabilities Act this year, my Administration
reaffirms our national commitment to creating access to
employment, education, and social, political, and
economic opportunities for Americans with disabilities.
Together with individuals who are blind or visually
impaired, service providers, educators, and employers,
we will uphold our country as an inclusive, welcoming
place for blind or visually impaired people to work,
learn, play, and live.

By joint resolution approved on October 6, 1964 (Public
Law 88-628, as amended), the Congress designated
October 15 of each year as White Cane Safety Day to
recognize the contributions of Americans who are blind
or have low vision.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October
15, 2010, as White Cane Safety Day. I call upon all
public officials, business and community leaders,
educators, librarians, and Americans to observe this
day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and
programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.