National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2011

Proclamation 8726 of October 3, 2011

National Disability Employment Awareness Month,
2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Utilizing the talents of all Americans is essential
for our Nation to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-
build the rest of the world. During National Disability
Employment Awareness Month, we recognize the skills
that people with disabilities bring to our workforce,
and we rededicate ourselves to improving employment
opportunities in both the public and private sectors
for those living with disabilities.

More than 20 years after the signing of the Americans
with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities,
including injured veterans, are making immeasurable
contributions to workplaces across our country.
Unfortunately, the unemployment rate for people with
disabilities remains too high--nearly double the rate
of people without disabilities--and reversing this
trend is crucial.

In both the public and private sectors, we can
increase employment opportunities for Americans with
disabilities. My Administration is promoting
competitive, integrated employment for persons with
disabilities and the elderly through the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services. Last year, we also
recommitted to making the Federal Government a model
employer for people living with disabilities. Agencies
are working harder than ever to promote equal hiring
practices and increase retention, while also expanding
internships, fellowships, and training opportunities.

We know education is the foundation on which all
children can build bright and successful futures, and
no child should be limited in his or her desire to
learn. In September, we announced the final regulations
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
Part C, to improve services and outcomes for infants
and toddlers with disabilities and their families
during the critical years before kindergarten. The
educational environments we are creating for children
with disabilities will ensure they are better prepared
to succeed in the classroom and later in the workplace,
helping position our Nation to lead in the 21st
century.

Work accessibility is just as vital to success as
ensuring educational and hiring opportunities. Public
transportation is a service that should be available to
all Americans, and rules instated this year by the
Department of Transportation require new rail
construction or renovations to ensure accessibility to
persons with disabilities. We are also improving our
compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
to make Federal agencies' electronic and information
technology more accessible to individuals with
disabilities. This will ensure all applicants have
equal opportunity to apply for jobs, and it will allow
Federal employees to better use technology at work.

To win the future, we must harness the power of our
Nation's richest resource--our people. Americans with
disabilities, like all Americans, are entitled to not
only full participation in our society, but also full
opportunity in our society. Their talents and
contributions are vital to the strength of our Nation's
workforce and our future prosperity. Together, we can
ensure

persons living with disabilities have equal access to
employment, and to inclusive, supportive workplaces.

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 2011 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
third day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.