Presidential Document2023-26898
International Day of Persons With Disabilities, 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
December 6, 2023
Signed
December 1, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 233 (Wednesday, December 6, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 6, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 84683-84684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26898]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 233 / Wednesday, December 6, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
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Title 3--
The President
[[Page 84683]]
Proclamation 10681 of December 1, 2023
International Day of Persons With Disabilities,
2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we
recommit to building a world where disabled people
everywhere are treated with the dignity and respect
they deserve and are afforded an equal shot at
achieving their dreams.
Many Americans can still recall when--just over three
decades ago--a person could legally be denied service
in a restaurant and employers could refuse to hire them
on the basis of their disability. Since the beginning
of my career, I have worked hard to change that. One of
my earliest acts as a United States Senator was co-
sponsoring the Rehabilitation Act, which banned
discrimination on the basis of disability by any entity
funded by the Federal Government. Years later, I was
proud to co-sponsor the Americans with Disabilities
Act--a landmark piece of legislation that banned
discrimination against disabled people in workplaces,
schools, public transit, and more.
In the years since, over 180 nations around the world
have passed similar laws, delivering justice to
millions of people with disabilities worldwide. But
there is still more to do at home and abroad to ensure
they have equal opportunities. Too often, disabled
Americans are unable to vote, get to and from school,
and enjoy public spaces, and are paid less for doing
the same work. Around the world, disabled people
continue to face discrimination, harassment,
exploitation, abuse, and violence, which inhibits their
full participation in society.
That is why my Administration has worked to ensure that
the dignity and rights of disabled Americans are lifted
in every policy we pursue. Through my American Rescue
Plan, we have taken action to improve access to health
care for disabled Americans, including providing
billions of dollars to all 50 States to expand home-
and community-based services under Medicaid so that
more people with disabilities can live independently at
home. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we
have invested billions of dollars more in building a
country that works for everyone--from repairing and
improving accessibility in airports and transit
stations to expanding access to high-speed internet so
more disabled Americans can work, study, and stay
connected from home. Additionally, the Department of
Justice proposed standards for State and local
governments to make their internet content and mobile
apps more accessible to disabled Americans so that they
can easily do things like travel to and from work and
school, care for themselves and their loved ones, and
vote.
My Administration is also working to uphold the dignity
and freedom of disabled people worldwide. For example,
I released the first-ever memorandum on Advancing
Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards
Globally, which directed departments and agencies to
account for the particular needs of persons with
disabilities in promoting labor rights. At the United
Nations General Assembly in September, I met with
leaders from Central Asia at the first-ever C5+1
Presidential Summit and launched a joint disability
rights initiative aimed at integrating disability
rights, promoting inclusive education, and increasing
infrastructure accessibility. At
[[Page 84684]]
the Department of State, I reestablished the role of
Special Advisor on International Disability Rights so
that the needs of disabled people are consistently
represented in foreign policy. Through our
participation as a co-chair of the Global Action on
Disability Network and a participant in the Global
Disability Summit, the United States continues to stand
for the equal rights of people with disabilities around
the world.
Today, as we celebrate the dignity, resilience, and
immense contributions of disabled people everywhere, we
recognize that our progress is not just about
protecting disability rights--it is about promoting
disability pride. For many of the over one billion
disabled people around the world, disability is a
source of identity and power--and it is our
responsibility to ensure everyone has equal
opportunities to reach their full potential.
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 December 3,
2023, as International Day of Persons with
Disabilities. I call on all Americans to observe this
day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and
programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of December, 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. 2023-26898
Filed 12-5-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 6, 2023.
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