<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Courier;
panose-1:2 7 4 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=WordSection1>
<p class=MsoNormal>Hi Everyone,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I thought you might be interested in this.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Susie<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>The White House<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>Office of the Press Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>For
Immediate Release <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>October
01, 2010 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>Presidential
Proclamation--National Disability Employment Awareness Month<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>As Americans, we understand
employment and economic security are critical to fulfilling our hopes and
aspirations. We also know we are stronger when our country and economy
can benefit from the skills and talents of all our citizens. No
individual in our Nation should face unnecessary barriers to success, and no
American with a disability should be limited in his or her desire to
work. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we renew our
focus on improving employment opportunities and career pathways that lead to
good jobs and sound economic futures for people with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>This year marks the 20th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the landmark civil
rights legislation that established a foundation of justice and equal
opportunity for individuals with disabilities. In the two decades since
its passage, much progress has been made. However, Americans with
disabilities continue to be employed at a rate far below Americans without
disabilities, and they are underrepresented in our Federal workforce.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>My Administration is committed to
ensuring people living with disabilities have fair access to jobs so they can
contribute to our economy and realize their dreams. To help achieve this
goal, I signed an Executive Order in July to increase Federal employment of
individuals with disabilities. This directive requires Federal agencies
to design model recruitment and hiring strategies for people with disabilities,
and to implement programs to retain these public servants. To ensure
transparency and accountability, agencies will report on their progress on hiring
people with disabilities, and the Office of Personnel Management will post the
results of agencies' efforts online for public evaluation. As the
Nation's largest employer, the Federal Government can become a model employer
by increasing employment across America of individuals with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>The 21st-century economy demands a
highly educated workforce equipped with the technology and skills to maintain
America's leadership in the global marketplace. Technology has changed
the way we work, and the Federal Government is leveraging emerging, assistive,
and other workplace technologies to improve the options available for everyone,
including workers with disabilities. We must improve the accessibility of
our workplaces and enable the collaboration and contributions of every
employee, and that is why I look forward to signing into law the Twenty-First
Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. This
legislation will greatly increase access to technology, with advances in areas
such as closed captioning, delivery of emergency information, video
description, and other advanced communications -- all essential tools for
learning and working in today's technological society.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>Individuals with disabilities are
a vital and dynamic part of our Nation, and their contributions have impacted
countless lives. People with disabilities bring immeasurable value to our
workplaces, and we will continue to address the challenges to employment that
must be overcome. This month, let us rededicate ourselves to fostering
equal access and fair opportunity in our labor force, and to capitalizing on
the talent, skills, and rich diversity of all our workers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>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 2010 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I urge
all Americans to embrace the unique value that individuals with disabilities
bring to our workplaces and communities and to promote everyone's right to
employment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have
hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and thirty-fifth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier'>BARACK
OBAMA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Courier'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>