[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 192 (Monday, October 5, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60261-60262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25475]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 192 / Monday, October 5, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 60261]]


                Proclamation 9336 of September 30, 2015

                
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 
                2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                A quarter century ago, our country took a major step 
                toward fulfilling the fundamental American promises of 
                equal access, equal opportunity, and equal respect for 
                all when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was 
                made the law of the land. While we have continued to 
                make advancements that help uphold this basic belief, 
                we must address the injustices that remain. During 
                National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we 
                celebrate the ways individuals with disabilities 
                strengthen our workforce, our communities, and our 
                country, and we recommit to cultivating an America 
                where all people are able to build vibrant futures for 
                themselves and for their families.

                Americans with disabilities make up almost one-fifth of 
                our population, but are unemployed at a rate that is 
                twice that of people without disabilities; and for 
                women and minorities with disabilities, the rates are 
                even higher. Despite all they contribute to our 
                society, people with disabilities still face 
                discrimination by employers, limited access to skills 
                training, and, too often, unfairly low expectations. As 
                a Nation, we must continue to promote inclusion in the 
                workplace and to tear down the barriers that remain--in 
                hearts, in minds, and in policies--to the security and 
                prosperity that stable jobs provide and that all our 
                people deserve. And we must actively foster a culture 
                in which individuals are supported and accepted for who 
                they are and in which it is okay to disclose one's 
                disability without fear of discrimination.

                My Administration is working to make sure our country 
                does not let the incredible talents of Americans with 
                disabilities go to waste. We are working to strengthen 
                protections against disability-based discrimination in 
                the workplace and to expand employment possibilities 
                for people with disabilities--and the Federal 
                Government is leading by example. I have taken action 
                to require agencies and Federal contractors to hire 
                more people with disabilities--and thanks to these 
                efforts, more Americans with disabilities are in 
                Federal service than at any point in the last three 
                decades.

                I will continue fighting to widen pathways to 
                opportunity for individuals with disabilities and 
                supporting employers in their efforts to increase 
                disability inclusion. The White House hosted a Summit 
                on Disability and Employment earlier this year to 
                provide businesses, philanthropies, and advocates with 
                information on Federal resources for hiring disabled 
                individuals. Last year, I was proud to sign the 
                Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which 
                encourages greater coordination across Federal, State, 
                and local programs to expand access to high-quality 
                workforce, education, and rehabilitation services. WIOA 
                also helps youth with disabilities to receive extensive 
                pre-employment transition services so they can find 
                positions alongside people without disabilities and get 
                paid above minimum wage. Additionally, last year I 
                signed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) 
                Act, which allows eligible people with disabilities to 
                establish tax-free savings accounts.

[[Page 60262]]

                America is at its strongest when we harness the talents 
                and celebrate the distinct gifts of all our people. 
                This October, as we observe the 70th anniversary of 
                National Disability Employment Awareness Month, let us 
                pay tribute to all who fought for better laws, demanded 
                better treatment, and overcame ignorance and 
                indifference to make our Nation more perfect. In their 
                honor, and for the betterment of generations of 
                Americans to come, let us continue the work of removing 
                obstacles to employment so every American has the 
                chance to develop their skills and make their unique 
                mark on the world we share.

                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 2015 as 
                National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I urge 
                all Americans to embrace the talents and skills that 
                individuals with disabilities bring to our workplaces 
                and communities and to promote the right to equal 
                employment opportunity for all people.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2015-25475
Filed 10-2-15; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P