Presidential Document2023-22236
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2023
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 4, 2023
Signed
September 29, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 68431-68432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22236]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 68431]]
Proclamation 10637 of September 29, 2023
National Disability Employment Awareness Month,
2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
People with disabilities have long strengthened our
economy and expanded our Nation's possibilities. During
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we
recognize the immense contributions of disabled
Americans, and we recommit to delivering America's full
promise of equal dignity, respect, and opportunity for
every American.
I had the honor of helping to pass the Rehabilitation
Act in my first year in the United States Senate. Then,
in 1990, with the help of activists and bipartisan
legislators and under the leadership of Senator Tom
Harkin, we passed the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA)--a groundbreaking civil rights law that banned
discrimination against people with disabilities in most
areas of public life, including in workplaces, schools,
and public transit. I was proud to co-sponsor that law
back then and to build on its lasting legacy in the
Obama-Biden Administration, including by setting hiring
goals for people with disabilities in Federal
contracts.
While the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA made
significant strides toward equal opportunity for people
with disabilities, there is more work to do. People
with disabilities are three times less likely to have a
job, and when they do, they are often paid less money
for doing the same work.
Since the start of the my Administration, we have been
working hard to promote job opportunities for Americans
with disabilities. I truly believe that a workforce
that includes people with disabilities is one that is
stronger and more effective. And as the Nation's
largest employer, the Federal Government has a
responsibility to set the standard for fair and decent
practices in the workplace. That is why, in my first
year in office, I issued an Executive Order to
prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and
accessibility in the Federal Government. That Executive
Order directs agencies to identify and remove barriers
to hiring and promotion for job applicants and
employees with disabilities as well as maximize the
accessibility of workplaces.
My Administration has also ended the use of unfair sub-
minimum wages in Federal contracts, which previously
allowed employers to pay workers with disabilities less
than the minimum wage for federally contracted workers.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor is working around
the clock to protect the rights of disabled workers on
Federal contracts and to promote their competitive
integrated employment alongside other similarly
situated workers without disabilities. The Office of
Disability Employment Policy launched several national
online dialogues to solicit broad stakeholder input on
the effectiveness of employment programs and services
for people from underrepresented groups within the
disability community. In addition, we are coordinating
with our partners at all levels of government, in the
private sector, and in civil society to use Federal
funding to provide new employment opportunities to
people with disabilities.
My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is also funding
projects that are lowering transportation barriers that
prevent disabled Americans from finding employment.
This once-in-a-generation investment in our Nation's
infrastructure is making transit and public services
more accessible. It includes $1.75 billion to repair
and improve accessibility in transit stations across
America
[[Page 68432]]
and $65 billion to expand access to high-speed internet
so more disabled Americans can work, study, and stay
connected from home. In August, the Department of
Justice issued a notice of proposed rulemaking under
Title II of the ADA that aims to improve web and mobile
applications access for people with disabilities and
clarify how public entities--primarily State and local
governments--can meet their existing ADA obligations as
many of their activities shift online, further breaking
down barriers to employment.
America is the only country in the world founded on an
idea: that we are all created equal and deserve to be
treated equally throughout our lives. This National
Disability Employment Awareness Month, we celebrate all
the people with disabilities who have moved our Nation
closer to realizing that ideal and, in the process,
have made America more prosperous, inclusive, and
humane. As we celebrate the progress we have made, may
we continue to open the doors of opportunity even wider
for people with disabilities by advancing access and
equity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 2023
as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I
urge all Americans to embrace the talents and skills of
workers with disabilities and to promote the right to
equal employment opportunity for all.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-22236
Filed 10-3-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 4, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.