[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 234 (Monday, December 7, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 76199-76200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30966]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 234 / Monday, December 7, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 76199]]


                Proclamation 9376 of December 2, 2015

                
International Day of Persons With Disabilities, 
                2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The United States has long been a leading voice for the 
                rights of persons with disabilities, and we join the 
                international community in expressing our support for 
                them in all they do and in recognizing them as the 
                valuable members of society that they are. This year, 
                as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the passing of 
                the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)--landmark 
                legislation that helps ensure the places that make up 
                our shared national life truly belong to everyone--we 
                also recognize that protecting the rights of those with 
                disabilities is not just an American ideal, but a 
                cornerstone of our work to ensure human rights around 
                the globe. On International Day of Persons with 
                Disabilities, we rededicate ourselves to building a 
                fairer and more accessible world and to upholding the 
                fundamental dignity and respect of all people.

                A quarter-century ago, our Nation marked a milestone in 
                the long march toward achieving equal opportunity for 
                all with the passage of the ADA. A result of quiet 
                persistence and perseverance coupled with passionate 
                and vocal advocacy, this Act showed the world our full 
                commitment to the rights of people with disabilities, 
                and in these past 25 years, we have built on the 
                foundation of equality laid by this law. The Affordable 
                Care Act also guarantees people with disabilities a 
                basic but fundamental protection--that they can no 
                longer be denied access to health insurance due to a 
                pre-existing condition. Additionally, my Administration 
                has supported increasing funding for the Individuals 
                with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants, which 
                would boost our efforts to provide every child living 
                with a disability with a quality public education. And 
                this year, the White House hosted a series of events 
                commemorating IDEA's 40th anniversary to highlight the 
                importance of inclusion and of recognizing the talents 
                of all Americans in every aspect of society.

                Each day, our founding values of equality and 
                opportunity guide our work to forge a bright future for 
                people with disabilities. Serving to protect these 
                ideals are our brave men and women in uniform who give 
                of themselves for us all, and when they return home 
                with wounds of war, seen or unseen, it is our sacred 
                obligation to ensure they can take full advantage of 
                the freedoms they fought so hard to defend. That is why 
                my Administration has worked to provide our country's 
                veterans who have disabilities with access to timely, 
                quality health care and the tools needed to convert 
                their military skills into careers in civilian life.

                As we continue working to expand the promise of America 
                to all our people, we must remember that the fight for 
                disability rights should not stop at our Nation's 
                shores. The United States continues to uphold our 
                global commitment to the international disability 
                community. During my first year in office, the United 
                States signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons 
                with Disabilities, an international declaration, now 
                signed by 160 countries, that recognizes the inherent 
                worth of people with disabilities and urges equal 
                protection and benefits before the law. I am 
                disappointed that the Senate blocked ratification of 
                the Convention, and I continue to

[[Page 76200]]

                call on these elected leaders, all of whom represent 
                Americans with disabilities, to provide their advice 
                and consent to ratification. A pillar of American 
                leadership is our profound respect for the human 
                dignity of all people, and it is imperative that we 
                reach for a day when all of the more than 1 billion 
                people of the world who live with a disability can 
                enjoy the same rights afforded to those living here at 
                home.

                Our pursuit of equal rights for those with disabilities 
                is not over. Today, we stand on the shoulders of 
                generations who fought for better laws, demanded better 
                treatment, and who, by being good, decent people and 
                hard workers, proved to the world that having a 
                disability should not force individuals into the 
                margins of society. On this day, let us honor the 
                efforts of those who agitated for the respect and 
                dignity of all by picking up the inextinguishable torch 
                of equality and carrying it forward into a future that 
                recognizes the incredible talents and skills of people 
                with disabilities. Together, we can secure a tomorrow 
                in which all people know no limits but the scope of 
                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 December 3, 2015, 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 fifteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2015-30966
Filed 12-4-15; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P