[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 80369-80370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22992]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 80369]]
Proclamation 10825 of September 30, 2024
National Disability Employment Awareness Month,
2024
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
America's economy is stronger when every American has
an opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully.
During National Disability Employment Awareness Month,
we honor the incredible contributions of disabled
Americans to our country and economy. And we recommit
to opening the doors of opportunity wider for people
with disabilities, making our Nation more equal,
accessible, and fair.
Not too long ago, a person with a disability in America
could be denied employment because of their disability.
They could even be denied access to public spaces and
basic needs like service in a restaurant or a grocery
store. One of my early acts as a United States Senator
was co-sponsoring the Rehabilitation Act. It was the
first time in our Nation's history that we declared in
law what we knew to be true: that Americans with
disabilities deserve dignity, respect, and an equal
chance at the American Dream. The Rehabilitation Act is
one of the most consequential civil rights laws in our
Nation's history, banning discrimination on the basis
of disability by any entity the Federal Government
funds.
The Rehabilitation Act laid the groundwork for another
landmark law: the Americans with Disabilities Act. I
was enormously proud to co-sponsor that bill and remain
even prouder of its lasting legacy today. For more than
61 million Americans living with a disability, these
laws are a source of opportunity, meaningful inclusion,
participation, respect, and--as my dad would say--
dignity. And in the Obama-Biden Administration, we
built on the lasting legacy of these laws by setting
hiring goals in Federal contracts for people with
disabilities, which we have upheld and continued to
pursue in the Biden-Harris Administration.
My Administration is committed to ensuring people with
disabilities have access to good jobs. In my first few
months in office, I signed an Executive Order
establishing a Government-wide commitment to advancing
equality and equity in Federal employment, including
for people with disabilities. It brought together the
Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, and the Office of Personnel Management to
ensure that Federal workplaces are fully accessible to
people with disabilities so that the dignity and rights
of disabled Americans are lifted in every policy we
pursue. That includes making sure our Nation's largest
employer--the Federal Government--is the model for
fair, accessible, and decent practices in the
workplace. This Executive Order directs agencies to
address the challenges faced by job applicants and
employees with disabilities. Additionally, the General
Services Administration adopted the United States
Access Board's new guidelines to ensure people with
disabilities have access to the over 300,000 Federal
Government buildings. Furthermore, my Administration
ended the use of unfair subminimum wages in Federal
contracts--no longer will employers be permitted to pay
workers with disabilities less than minimum wage
through the AbilityOne Federal contracting program. And
the Department of Labor has launched a comprehensive
review of the subminimum wage program. We are working
to increase hiring for
[[Page 80370]]
people with disabilities in every sector--from helping
State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofits
access Federal funds to hire more disabled Americans to
appointing people with disabilities to positions in my
Administration.
My Administration is also strengthening our Nation's
infrastructure and making it more accessible so that
people with disabilities have no problems commuting to
work or other places. My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
makes the biggest investment ever--$1.75 billion--to
expand accessibility in transit and rail stations. It
also includes $65 billion to expand access to high-
speed internet so more disabled Americans can work,
study, and stay connected from home. Further, the
Department of Justice finalized standards for State and
local governments to make their internet content and
mobile apps more accessible so that digital workplaces
are accessible to disabled Americans.
During National Disability Employment Awareness Month,
we celebrate the talent, impact, and legacy of people
with disabilities across our Nation by working to make
our country stronger, more prosperous, and more just.
And we recommit to ensuring people with disabilities
have every opportunity to pursue the American Dream.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 2024
as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I
urge all Americans to embrace the talents and skills of
workers with disabilities and to promote the right to
equal employment opportunity for all.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
ninth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-22992
Filed 10-2-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P