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<DIV>Presidential Proclamation -- International Day of Persons with
Disabilities</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we recommit to
ensuring<BR>people living with disabilities enjoy full equality and
unhindered<BR>participation in all facets of our national life. We recognize the
myriad<BR>contributions that persons with disabilities make at home and abroad,
and we<BR>remember that disability rights are universal rights to be recognized
and<BR>promoted around the world.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For decades, America has been a global leader in advancing the rights
of<BR>people with disabilities. From the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990<BR>to the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility
Act,<BR>which I signed last year, we have striven to bring the American dream
and<BR>comprehensive opportunities in education, health care, and employment
within<BR>reach for every individual. These actions --made possible only through
the<BR>tireless and ongoing efforts of the disability community -- affirm
our<BR>commitment to an equitable and just society where every American can play
a<BR>part in securing a prosperous future for our Nation.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>To fulfill this promise not only in America, but around the world,
my<BR>Administration is putting disability rights at the heart of our
Nation's<BR>foreign policy.<BR>With leadership from the Department of State and
the United States Agency<BR>for International Development, we are collaborating
across governments and<BR>in close consultation with the global disability
community to expand access<BR>to education, health care, HIV/AIDS prevention and
treatment, and other<BR>development programs. In 2009, we signed the Convention
on the Rights of<BR>Persons with Disabilities, which seeks to ensure persons
with disabilities<BR>enjoy the same rights and opportunities as all people. If
ratified, the<BR>Convention would provide a platform to encourage other
countries to join and<BR>implement the Convention, laying a foundation for
enhanced benefits and<BR>greater protections for the millions of Americans with
disabilities who<BR>spend time abroad.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We know from the historic struggle for disability rights in the
United<BR>States that disability inclusion is an ongoing effort, and many
challenges<BR>remain in securing fundamental human rights for all persons
with<BR>disabilities around the world. On International Day of Persons
with<BR>Disabilities, we press forward, renewing our dedication to
embrace<BR>diversity, end discrimination, remove barriers, and uphold the
rights,<BR>dignity, and equal opportunity of all people.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America,<BR>by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the
laws of<BR>the United States, do hereby proclaim December 3, 2011, as
International Day<BR>of Persons with Disabilities. I call on all Americans to
observe this day<BR>with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.<BR>IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of December,<BR>in
the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of
the<BR>United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>BARACK OBAMA</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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