Presidential Documents

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


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83610 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2024 / Presidential Documents 

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 fortyninth. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24163 

Filed 10–16–24; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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