[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 234 (Friday, December 5, 2014)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 72537-72538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28774]
[[Page 72535]]
Vol. 79
Friday,
No. 234
December 5, 2014
Part V
The President
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Proclamation 9217--International Day of Persons With Disabilities, 2014
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 79 , No. 234 / Friday, December 5, 2014 /
Presidential Documents
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Title 3--
The President
[[Page 72537]]
Proclamation 9217 of December 2, 2014
International Day of Persons With Disabilities,
2014
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Each year, the United States joins with the
international community to celebrate the inherent
dignity and worth of every person. In America and in
countries around the world, individuals with
disabilities support families, strengthen their
communities, and contribute to the global economy. On
International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we
reaffirm the fundamental principle that those with
disabilities are entitled to the same rights and
freedoms as everyone else: to belong and fully
participate in society, to live with respect and free
from discrimination, and to make of their lives what
they will.
Nearly a quarter century ago, the Congress came
together to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), a landmark civil rights bill and a historic
milestone in our journey toward a more perfect Union.
The first Nation on earth to comprehensively declare
equality for its citizens with disabilities, we
enshrined into law the promise of equal access, equal
opportunity, and equal respect for every American. The
ADA was a formal acknowledgement that individuals with
disabilities deserve to live full and independent lives
the way they choose, and today, my Administration
continues to fight to give every person a fair shot at
realizing their greatest potential. We are working to
rigorously enforce the protections against disability-
based discrimination and expand workforce training and
employment opportunities for people with disabilities,
including our wounded warriors and those with serious
disabilities. Today's theme, ``Sustainable Development:
The promise of technology,'' reminds us that as we
strive to increase accessibility in our communities, we
cannot allow the benefits of groundbreaking innovation
to be out of reach for those who seek to participate
fully in our democracy and economy.
Disability rights are not only civil rights to be
enforced here at home; they are universal rights to be
recognized and promoted around the globe. That is why I
am proud that during my time in Office, the United
States signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities, and why I continue to call on the
Senate to provide its advice and consent to the
ratification of what is the first new human rights
convention of the 21st century. Around the world, more
than 1 billion people experience a disability. These
women, men, and children seek a fair chance to complete
an education, succeed in a career, and support a
family--and the United States stands with them wherever
they live.
America continues to be the world leader on disability
rights. Today, we celebrate the courage and commitment
of all who have agitated and sacrificed to bring us to
this point, and all who continue to press ahead toward
greater access, opportunity, and inclusion. With
advocates from around the world and all those whose
lives have been touched by a disability, we can build
on our progress. Let us recommit to fostering a society
free of barriers and full of a deeper understanding of
the value each person adds to our global community.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution
[[Page 72538]]
and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim
December 3, 2014, 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 fourteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2014-28774
Filed 12-4-14; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F5