[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 42 (Monday, October 19, 1998)]
[Pages 2061-2062]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Proclamation 7140--White Cane Safety Day, 1998

October 15, 1998

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    The white cane is both a simple tool and a powerful symbol. For 
people who are blind or visually impaired, it can be the key to greater 
mobility, giving them information about their surroundings and allowing 
them to travel safely whether crossing the street or crossing the 
country. For those who are sighted, the white cane shows that blind or 
visually impaired people have the ability, the desire, and the right to 
participate in every aspect of our national life. It is also a reminder 
that, whether as pedestrians or drivers, we should respond with care and 
courtesy to people using a white cane. And for all of us, the white cane 
symbolizes the independence every citizen needs and deserves if he or 
she is to contribute fully to society.
    Our annual observance of White Cane Safety Day gives us the 
opportunity not only to celebrate the accomplishments of those who use 
the white cane, but also to renew our commitment to removing those 
barriers, both physical and attitudinal, that prevent people with 
disabilities from reaching their full potential. Since passage of the 
Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the 
Fair Housing Amendments Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 
and the Telecommunications Act, we have made great progress in our 
efforts to ensure that all people with disabilities enjoy equal access 
to employment opportunities, education, public accommodations, housing, 
transportation, telecommunications, emerging technologies, and other 
aspects of our society.
    We still have a long way to go, however, before we achieve the full 
inclusion, empowerment, and independence of all Americans with 
disabilities. The public and private sectors must work in partnership to 
raise awareness of the rights protected by the ADA and other laws, as 
well as the responsibilities and obligations these laws mandate. It is 
crucial that we pursue a comprehensive strategy to enable people with 
all types of disabilities to obtain and sustain competitive employment 
in our Nation's thriving economy. Men and women with disabilities have 
much to offer, and their energy, creativity, and hard work can greatly 
strengthen our Nation and our economy. As we observe White Cane Safety 
Day and acknowledge the importance of the white cane as an instrument of 
personal freedom, let us reaffirm our determination to ensure equal 
opportunity for every American, including people who are blind or 
visually impaired.
    To honor the many achievements of blind and visually impaired 
citizens and to recognize the white cane's significance in advancing 
independence, the Congress, by joint resolution approved October 6, 
1964, has designated October 15 of each year as ``White Cane Safety 
Day.''
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim October 15, 1998, as White Cane 
Safety Day. I call upon the people of the United States, government 
officials, educators, and business leaders to observe this day with 
appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day 
of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and twenty-third.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 19, 
1998]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on 
October 20.

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