[Nfb-krafters-korner] presidential proclamation

[Dixie]

Presidential Proclamation -- International Day of Persons with Disabilities

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we recommit to ensuring
people living with disabilities enjoy full equality and unhindered
participation in all facets of our national life. We recognize the myriad
contributions that persons with disabilities make at home and abroad, and we
remember that disability rights are universal rights to be recognized and
promoted around the world.

For decades, America has been a global leader in advancing the rights of
people with disabilities. From the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
to the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act,
which I signed last year, we have striven to bring the American dream and
comprehensive opportunities in education, health care, and employment within
reach for every individual. These actions --made possible only through the
tireless and ongoing efforts of the disability community -- affirm our
commitment to an equitable and just society where every American can play a
part in securing a prosperous future for our Nation.

To fulfill this promise not only in America, but around the world, my
Administration is putting disability rights at the heart of our Nation's
foreign policy.
With leadership from the Department of State and the United States Agency
for International Development, we are collaborating across governments and
in close consultation with the global disability community to expand access
to education, health care, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and other
development programs. In 2009, we signed the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, which seeks to ensure persons with disabilities
enjoy the same rights and opportunities as all people. If ratified, the
Convention would provide a platform to encourage other countries to join and
implement the Convention, laying a foundation for enhanced benefits and
greater protections for the millions of Americans with disabilities who
spend time abroad.

We know from the historic struggle for disability rights in the United
States that disability inclusion is an ongoing effort, and many challenges
remain in securing fundamental human rights for all persons with
disabilities around the world. On International Day of Persons with
Disabilities, we press forward, renewing our dedication to embrace
diversity, end discrimination, remove barriers, and uphold the rights,
dignity, and equal opportunity of all people.

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 December 3, 2011, 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 eleven, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA