[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9148--JULY 25, 2014

Proclamation 9148 of July 25, 2014

Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Over two decades ago, Americans--some in wheelchairs, some using sign
language, and all with an abiding belief in our Nation's promise--came
together to strengthen our commitment to equality for all. At a time
when people with disabilities were turned away at movie theaters,
rejected for employment, and measured by what so many thought they could
not do, leaders and activists refused to accept the world as it was. In
small towns and big cities, they spoke out. They staged sit-ins,
authored discrimination diaries, and scaled the Capitol steps. Finally,
they realized their call for simple justice in one of the most
comprehensive civil rights bills in our country's history. On the
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we honor those
who fought against discrimination, and we recommit to tearing down
barriers and guaranteeing all Americans the right to pursue their own
measure of happiness.
The ADA promises equal access and equal opportunity--regardless of
ability. It secures each person's right to an independent life, and it
enables our country and our economy to benefit from the talents and
contributions of all Americans.
Even as we commemorate this milestone, we recognize that too often,
casual discrimination or fear of the unfamiliar still prevent disabled
Americans from achieving their full potential. That is why my
Administration is pushing to fulfill the promise of and better enforce
the ADA. Fifteen years after the Olmstead decision--in which the Supreme
Court ruled it discrimination to unjustifiably institutionalize someone
with a disability--we have increased the number of homes integrated into
communities that are available for persons with disabilities. Under the
Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are banned from discriminating
on the basis of pre-existing conditions, medical history, or genetic
information. Expanding on my Executive Order to establish the Federal
Government as a model employer of individuals with disabilities, my
Administration is also providing Federal contractors with the tools and
resources to recruit, retain, and promote people with disabilities.
The nearly one in five Americans living with a disability are our
parents, children, neighbors, colleagues, and friends. They are entitled
to the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. Today, we celebrate
their accomplishments, stand against discrimination in all its forms,
and honor all who sacrificed so future generations might know a more
equal society.
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 July 26, 2014, the
Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I encourage
Americans across our Nation to celebrate the 24th anniversary of this
civil rights law and the many contributions of individuals with
disabilities.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of
July, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA