[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 41 (Monday, October 18, 1999)]
[Pages 2062-2063]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7240--White Cane Safety Day, 1999

October 15, 1999

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    The white cane is widely recognized as a symbol of independence for 
people who are blind or visually impaired. This simple device has given 
freedom to generations of blind Americans by enabling them to move 
through their communities with greater ease, confidence, and safety.
    Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, former President of the National Federation of 
the Blind who died just a year ago this month, was an early advocate of 
the white cane and the full integration of blind people into every 
aspect of society. Dr. Jernigan used the white cane himself and 
recognized its power as a means to allow blind people to leave the 
confines of their homes for the outside world--to go to school and to 
work and to make ever-greater contributions to their communities.
    Thanks to enormous advances in technology, people who are blind or 
visually impaired now have additional tools--such as voice recognition 
software, computer screen readers, and braille translators--to assist 
them in carrying out their responsibilities on the job. My 
Administration has proposed increased investment in such assistive 
technology as well as a $1,000 tax credit to help people with 
disabilities offset the cost of special transportation requirements and 
work-related expenses. I have also strongly urged the Congress to pass 
the Work Incentives Improvement Act so that Americans with disabilities 
can go to work without jeopardizing their Medicare or Medicaid coverage.
    We can be heartened today that many barriers to full inclusion for 
blind Americans have been dismantled. But the greatest barrier still 
remains: the attitude of too many sighted people that those who are 
blind or visually impaired are incapable of holding their own in the 
working world. On White Cane Safety Day, let us reaffirm our national 
commitment to providing equal opportunity for all Americans, regardless 
of disability.
    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, 1999, 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-nine, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and twenty-fourth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 18, 
1999]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on 
October 19.

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