[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 

PROCLAMATION 9042--OCT. 11, 2013

Proclamation 9042 of October 11, 2013

Blind Americans Equality Day, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Blind and visually impaired persons have always played an important role
in American life and culture, and today we recommit to our goals of full
access and opportunity. Whether sprinting across finish lines, leading
innovation in business and government, or creating powerful music and
art, blind and visually impaired Americans imagine and pursue ideas and
goals that move our country forward. As a Nation,



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it is our task to
ensure they can always access the tools and support they need to turn
those ideas and goals into realities.
My Administration is committed to advancing opportunity for people with
disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act and other
important avenues. In June of this year, the United States joined with
over 150 countries in approving a landmark treaty that aims to expand
access for visually impaired persons and other persons with print
disabilities to information, culture, and education. By facilitating
access to books and other printed material, the treaty holds the
potential to open up worlds of knowledge. If the United States becomes a
party to this treaty, we can reduce the book famine that confronts the
blind community while maintaining the integrity of the international
copyright framework.
The United States was also proud to join 141 other countries in signing
the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009, and
we are working toward its ratification. Americans with Disabilities,
including those who are blind or visually impaired, should have the same
opportunities to work, study, and travel in other countries as any other
American, and the Convention can help us realize that goal.
To create a more level playing field and ensure students with
disabilities have access to the general education curriculum, the
Department of Education issued new guidance in June for the use of
Braille as a literacy tool under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act. This guidance reaffirms my Administration's commitment to
using Braille to open doors for students who are blind or visually
impaired, so every student has a chance to succeed in the classroom and
graduate from high school prepared for college and careers.
We have come a long way in our journey toward a more perfect Union, but
we still have work ahead. We must fulfill the promise of life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness and expand the freedom to make of our lives
what we will. On this day, we celebrate the accomplishments of our blind
and visually impaired citizens, and we recommit to building a Nation
where all Americans, including those who are blind or visually impaired,
live with the assurance of equal opportunity and equal respect.
By joint resolution approved on October 6, 1964 (Public Law 88-628, as
amended), the Congress designated October 15 of each year as ``White
Cane Safety Day'' to recognize the contributions of Americans who are
blind or have low vision. Today, let us recommit to ensuring we remain a
Nation where all our people, including those with disabilities, have
every opportunity to achieve 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 October 15, 2013, as
Blind Americans Equality Day. I call upon public officials, business and
community leaders, educators, librarians, and Americans across the
country to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and
programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of



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the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.
BARACK OBAMA