The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1945-05-31
Truman PrOcIain,S
Rehabilitation
Week. June 20

With the attention of the Nation
rightly focused on the welfare of
men and women returning from
service in the armed forces and the
emphasis placed on benefits pro-
vided for them through Congress
sional action, we must not let our
interest lag in discharging our
obligations to the increasing thou
sands among our civilian population
who through accident, disease, or
! congenital conditions are unable to
hold place in the ranks of the
American working force. Even in
the midst of war their condition
calls to us for renewed effort to
bring about their restoration that
they, too, may maintain their self
respect through self-supporting
work.
On June 2. our nationwide pro-
gram for the vocational rehabih-
tation of such disabled men and
women will have been in operation
a quarter Of a century. Less than
two years ago, the Congress ex-
banded his program by amending
the Vocational Rehabilitation Act
of 1920. The new law-The Barden-
! aFollette Act, passed in 1913
inakeS it possible for the Federal
aud State Governments, working as
a team, to bring to the mentally
disabled and the blind and all other
groups of the disabled, the many
serN ces necessary to make them
empAIyable, including physical res
toration, vocational training and
placen lent in suitable employment.
Over the past twenty-five years
it has been demonstrated that this
program for the restoration of dis
abled men and women is paying
dividends, not only in humanita-
rian terms but in dollars and cents.
Thousands of men and women an
nually apply to the rehabilitation
service for help. Because of disabil-
tiles they are able to contribute
little to the national income. Many
of them are forced to accept public
aid. Refitted for work, they begin
to pay their own way. No longer
then are they tax consumers; they
are taxpayers.
That We may not fail to discharge
our obligation to help every man
and woman who needs vocational
Rehabilitation services in order to
become self-supporting. it appears
appropriate at this time that I
should urge the able-bodied citi-
zenry of the United States to unite
in concerted effort to bring about
wider knowledge and use of the
services for physical and mental
restoration of the handicapped
provided under the Baren-LaFol-
lette Act, which supplies to all civ
ilian disabled.
Now. therefore. I, Harry S. Tru-
man, President of the United States
of America, do hereby declare the
week beginning June 2, 1945, as
National Rehabilitation Week.
And I urge all churches, educa-
tional institutions, health and well
fare services, civic organizations,
chambers of commerce, board of
trade, industry, labor, public-spir-
tied citizens, and the radio and
press throughout the United States
to observe National Rehabilitation
Week, to the end that handicapped
men and women throughout our
Nation may be located and advised
of the benefits to which they may
be entitled.
In witness whereof, I have here
unto set my hand and caused the
seal of the United States of Amer
lea to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington
this 5th day of May in the year,
Of our Lord nineteen hundred and
forty-five. and of the Independence
of the United States of America the
one hundred and Sixty-ninth.
HARRY S. TRUMAN