[blindlaw] [Nfbnet-master-list] Presidential Proclamation -- Blind Americans Equality Day, 2013

[Michael Fry]

That's awesome!!  Really and truly awesome!!  Thank you to everyone that
made this happen.


On Tue, Oct 15, 2013 at 2:47 PM, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:

>  The White House
> Office of the Press Secretary
> For Immediate Release
> October 11, 2013
> Presidential Proclamation -- Blind Americans Equality Day, 2013
> BLIND AMERICANS EQUALITY DAY, 2013
> - - - - - - -
> BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
> A PROCLAMATION
>  Blind and visually impaired persons have always played an important role
> in American life and culture, and today we recommit to our goals of full
> access and opportunity. Whether sprinting across finish lines, leading
> innovation in business and government, or creating powerful music and art,
> blind and visually impaired Americans imagine and pursue ideas and goals
> that move our country forward. As a Nation, it is our task to ensure they
> can always access the tools and support they need to turn those ideas and
> goals into realities.
> My Administration is committed to advancing opportunity for people with
> disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act and other
> important avenues. In June of this year, the United States joined with over
> 150 countries in approving a landmark treaty that aims to expand access for
> visually impaired persons and other persons with print disabilities to
> information, culture, and education. By facilitating access to books and
> other printed material, the treaty holds the potential to open up worlds of
> knowledge. If the United States becomes a party to this treaty, we can
> reduce the book famine that confronts the blind community while maintaining
> the integrity of the international copyright framework.
> The United States was also proud to join 141 other countries in signing
> the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009, and we
> are working toward its ratification. Americans with Disabilities, including
> those who are blind or visually impaired, should have the same
> opportunities to work, study, and travel in other countries as any other
> American, and the Convention can help us realize that goal.
> To create a more level playing field and ensure students with disabilities
> have access to the general education curriculum, the Department of
> Education issued new guidance in June for the use of Braille as a literacy
> tool under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This guidance
> reaffirms my Administration's commitment to using Braille to open doors for
> students who are blind or visually impaired, so every student has a chance
> to succeed in the classroom and graduate from high school prepared for
> college and careers.
> We have come a long way in our journey toward a more perfect Union, but we
> still have work ahead. We must fulfill the promise of life, liberty, and
> the pursuit of happiness and expand the freedom to make of our lives what
> we will. On this day, we celebrate the accomplishments of our blind and
> visually impaired citizens, and we recommit to building a Nation where all
> Americans, including those who are blind or visually impaired, live with
> the assurance of equal opportunity and equal respect.
> 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 recommit to ensuring we remain 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, 2013, 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 eleventh day of
> October, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
> Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
> thirty-eighth.
> BARACK OBAMA
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Nfbnet-master-list mailing list
> Nfbnet-master-list at nfbnet.org
>