[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 202 (Thursday, October 17, 1996)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 54077-54078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26836]
[[Page 54330]]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 202 / Thursday, October 17, 1996 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 54077]]
Proclamation 6941 of October 14, 1996
White Cane Safety Day, 1996
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
In the summer of 1996, the remarkable display of
athletic excellence at the Tenth Paralympic Games in
Atlanta, Georgia, inspired viewers around the world.
Athletes from across our country, including many who
are blind or visually impaired, participated in these
games. The tenacity and commitment to excellence that
these athletes showed in Atlanta are rich resources for
our Nation. From their performance in the Paralympics,
and indeed from their many contributions throughout our
Nation's history, blind and visually impaired Americans
have demonstrated how much they have to contribute.
Individuals with disabilities, like all people, use
many tools in their everyday lives, some simple and
some technologically sophisticated. The tool most
commonly used by blind and visually impaired people is
the white cane. This basic instrument enables them to
detect obstacles, steps, drop-offs, and changes in
surface textures. The independence that blind and
visually impaired people gain through the use of the
white cane enriches their lives--and those of all
Americans--by allowing them to participate fully in and
contribute generously to our society.
Blind and visually impaired individuals make valuable
contributions to our society and our economy. But they
need more than the white cane to achieve their full
potential; they also need equal opportunity and
protection from discrimination. That is why we must
continue to vigorously enforce the Americans with
Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination
against blind and visually impaired people and those
with other disabilities, and ensures them access to
services that all other Americans take for granted.
To honor the numerous achievements of blind and
visually impaired individuals, and to recognize the
significance of the white cane as a symbol of their
freedom and independence in our society, the Congress
of the United States, by joint resolution approved
October 6, 1964, has designated October 15 of each year
as ``White Cane Safety Day,'' and authorized the
President to issue a proclamation in observance of this
commemoration.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October
15, 1996, as White Cane Safety Day. I call upon the
people of the United States, government officials,
educators, and business leaders to observe this day
with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and
[[Page 54078]]
of the Independence of the United States of America the
two hundred and twenty-first.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 96-26836
Filed 10-16-96; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P