Go Obama!

Dear Americans with Disabilities,

 

It's a pleasure for me to join you in celebrating
National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Americans with disabilities are
an essential and underutilized part of our workforce. As President, I will work
hard to help you achieve full equality - in the workplace, in education, and in
all aspects of life.

 

I don't have to tell you the dismal statistics - an
employment rate 40 points below that of working-age individuals without
disabilities and a federal failure to meet the disability employment targets of
Executive Order 13173.

 

This must change - and I know that it can. Because I know
that we can change it. One of the most important measures of any society is how
well it enables each person to live up to his or her potential. Fairness is
important, but providing you with the supports and services so you can succeed
goes beyond that - it goes to the heart of our nation's future. Because in an
era of intense global competition, we can't afford not to put everyone to work.
You shouldn't be locked out of the workplace. Children with disabilities
shouldn't be languishing in failing schools that doom them to a life of second
class citizenship. Your talents and energies must not go to waste.

 

America faces great challenges right now and we won't
meet them without the help of everyone who can work. It's that simple. That's
why it is long past time for us to break down the barriers that still exclude
people with disabilities in this country and deprive you of true equality of
opportunity and independence.

 

One of the first places we need change is in the
workplace, and the federal government should take the lead. That's why my
administration will be a model for other employers in hiring and accommodating
employees with disabilities. Before leaving office, President Clinton issued
Executive Order No. 13173, which mandated hiring an additional 100,000 federal
employees with disabilities within five years. Eight years later, this goal
still hasn't been reached. I will reinstate this executive order early in my
term as President and designate a senior White House official to assure that
all federal departments and agencies do their part to help meet this goal. I
will also vigorously enforce the Rehabilitation Act, including Section 503
requiring the federal government and employers who are federal contractors to
"take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities."

 

In addition, I will launch an aggressive effort to
educate employers about tax benefits designed to encourage them to hire
employees with disabilities, such as the Disabled Access Tax Credit, the Tax
Deduction for Architectural and Transportation Barrier Removal, and the Work
Opportunity Tax Credit. They are underused and our employers can't afford to
miss out on these benefits any longer.

 

These actions will help many adults with disabilities
increase their contributions to our society, and I believe we must do even more
for the next generation. That's why I will fully fund the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act and ensure that it is effectively implemented and
enforced.

 

This is a pivotal election, and it's our time for change.
I hope you'll get involved, because I can't do this alone. I need everyone to
contact their friends and family to make sure they know about the issues and
where the candidates stand. I need everyone who can to make phone calls and
knock on doors to get the word out. Together, we can win this election.
Together, we can achieve full equality for Americans with disabilities.
Together, we can create the changes we seek.

 

Sincerely,

 

Barack Obama

 

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