Blind Americans Equality Day, 2016

Proclamation 9525 of October 14, 2016

Blind Americans Equality Day, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Each day, blind and visually impaired Americans
contribute to our society, refusing to allow anything
to hold them back. In order to ensure more Americans
with disabilities can continue participating fully in
our country, we must each do our part to promote equal
opportunity for all. On Blind Americans Equality Day,
we reaffirm the inherent dignity of every human being
and recommit to forging a future in which all
Americans, including those with visual impairments, can
pursue their full measure of happiness.

More than two decades ago, one of the most
comprehensive civil rights bills in our history, the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), was signed into
law. Ever since, the ADA has helped reduce
discrimination and promote equal access to classrooms,
workplaces, and transportation--and it is imperative
that we build on the significant progress we have made
for individuals living with disabilities. Because the
unemployment rate is more than twice as high for
Americans with disabilities, my Administration has
worked to improve employment opportunities, including
within the Federal Government where we are leading as a
model employer. Last year, we hosted the White House
Summit on Disability and Employment, which provided
resources to help employers hire more individuals with
disabilities. And through the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act, we expanded access to critical
services for many individuals with disabilities,
including those who are blind or visually impaired, so
that they can pursue high-quality employment
opportunities. People with disabilities deserve to live
their lives in their communities and raise their
families, and earlier this year we hosted a Forum on
the Civil Rights of Parents with Disabilities because
every family, including those headed by people with
disabilities, deserves the chance to reach for a future
of ever greater possibility.

Our Nation must continue to promote equal opportunity
and the right of all Americans to live full and
independent lives. This begins early on--we must ensure
that any child with a print disability can access the
tools they need to pursue an education. That is why we
have worked to provide appropriate materials and
services, including Braille and Braille literacy
instruction, in schools. We are investing in
technologies that provide visually impaired students
equal access to the general education curriculum. We
are also working to make the websites of Government
agencies and private companies more accessible to
anyone with a disability--an effort which remains an
important priority. And I have encouraged the Senate to
ratify the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to
Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually
Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled, which will
broaden access to a new world of knowledge for these
individuals.

Disability touches us all, and together we can strive
to ensure that all blind and visually impaired
individuals face no unnecessary barriers to success. By
providing equal access to resources and technologies
and giving everyone the chance to make of their lives
what they will, we can continue to advance opportunity
and prosperity for all our people.

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. Today, let
us reaffirm our commitment to being a Nation where all
our people, including those with disabilities, have
every opportunity to achieve 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 October 15, 2016, as
Blind Americans Equality Day. I call upon public
officials, business and community leaders, educators,
librarians, and Americans across the country to observe
this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and
programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-first.