[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 83609-83610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24163]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 83609]]


                Proclamation 10840 of October 11, 2024

                
Blind Americans Equality Day, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                This Blind Americans Equality Day, we honor the immense 
                contributions of blind and low vision Americans, who 
                help power our economy and push our Nation forward. And 
                we recommit to ensuring every blind and low vision 
                person in this country has a fair shot at the American 
                Dream.

                Throughout my decades in public service, I have strived 
                to build an America that works for all Americans. It is 
                why I was proud to co-sponsor the landmark Americans 
                with Disabilities Act--a civil rights law that banned 
                discrimination against people with disabilities in many 
                areas of public life. I remain proud of its lasting 
                legacy today. However, there is still more to do to 
                ensure that blind and low vision Americans have the 
                resources and opportunities they need to thrive. From 
                transportation to online job applications, public 
                services are too often designed in ways that are 
                inaccessible for people with disabilities. And less 
                than half of blind or low vision Americans are 
                employed.

                My Administration is committed to ensuring blind and 
                low vision Americans have equal opportunities. To that 
                end, I signed an Executive Order to prioritize 
                diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the 
                Federal Government and to identify the barriers faced 
                by job applicants and employees with disabilities. We 
                are also requiring Federal agencies to prioritize 
                website accessibility so the Government can truly 
                deliver for all Americans. These are important steps 
                toward making the Federal Government the gold standard 
                for fair, accessible, and decent practices in the 
                workplace. Furthermore, my Administration is ensuring 
                that blind and low vision Americans hired by the 
                Federal Government are paid a fair wage. That is why we 
                ended the use of unfair sub-minimum wages in Federal 
                contracts. At the same time, we are working to increase 
                hiring for people with disabilities in every sector by 
                helping governments, businesses, and nonprofits access 
                Federal funds to hire more disabled Americans.

                I am also working to make public spaces more accessible 
                for blind and low vision Americans. Through my 
                Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are investing $1.75 
                billion--the largest amount ever--in making transit and 
                rail stations more accessible. The General Services 
                Administration also adopted the United States Access 
                Board's new guidelines to ensure people with 
                disabilities have access to the over 300,000 Federal 
                Government buildings. And the National Institutes of 
                Health designated people with disabilities as a 
                population with health disparities, opening up new 
                research opportunities that will focus on health issues 
                and unmet needs for blind and low vision Americans.

                This Blind Americans Equality Day, may we recommit to 
                advancing accessibility and opportunities for blind and 
                low vision Americans, who do so much for our Nation and 
                deserve every opportunity to thrive.

                By joint resolution approved on October 6, 1964 (Public 
                Law 88-628, as amended), the Congress authorized 
                October 15 of each year as ``White Cane Safety Day,'' 
                which is recognized today as ``Blind Americans Equality 
                Day,'' to honor the contributions of blind and low 
                vision Americans.

[[Page 83610]]

                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 15, 
                2024, as Blind Americans Equality Day. I call upon all 
                the people of the United States--including all 
                government officials, educators, and volunteers--to 
                mark this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, 
                and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                ninth.
                <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-24163
Filed 10-16-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P