[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 43 (Monday, October 30, 2000)]
[Page 2627]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on National Disability Mentoring Day

October 25, 2000

    Today, on National Disability Mentoring Day, I commend the members 
of my administration and the public and private organizations across the 
Nation that are conducting mentoring activities to help expand 
employment opportunities for young people with disabilities. I also 
applaud the young people participating in Mentoring Day and extend my 
special congratulations to the winners of the Disability Mentoring Day 
Essay Contest. Each participant has helped advance the goal of today's 
effort to expose young people with disabilities to a variety of career 
options, while acquainting employers with the contributions that this 
future talent pool can make.
    I am pleased to report that my administration is taking specific 
actions to help more people with disabilities participate in the 
workforce. These steps include new public-private partnerships to close 
the digital divide for people with disabilities and a variety of grants 
to advance the goals of the landmark Ticket to Work and Work Incentives 
Improvement Act I signed last year.
    I am also glad to report important progress in both Federal and 
private sector initiatives to hire more people with disabilities. First, 
the Federal Government is on track to meet the goal I announced on the 
10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act to hire 100,000 
more persons with disabilities over 5 years. Second, CEO's of a dozen 
major companies are leading the way by pledging to support the 
recruitment, hiring, and promotion of individuals with disabilities.
    Together, these important steps represent a powerful statement about 
what we can accomplish when Federal, State, and private sector partners 
work together toward the full inclusion of people with disabilities in 
our Nation's historic economic growth and prosperity. Hiring people with 
disabilities is not just the right thing to do. It's good for business; 
it's good for communities; and it's good for all Americans.