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Proclamation to Declare July 26, 2023, as Disability Independence Day
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WHEREAS, National Disability Independence Day commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990; and
WHEREAS, the ADA protects people with disabilities from employment discrimination and provides them with equal access to goods, services, and communications; and
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act empowers people with disabilities to stand up for their rights; and
WHEREAS, the adoption of ADA helped address common barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, and promoted accessibility in various ways, including the widening of doorways, the expansion of bathroom stalls to improve wheelchair accessibility, the addition of braille signs, and the use of auditory signals at crosswalks to help the visually impaired; and
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act motivated designers to enhance technology, thereby removing barriers that restricted a person’s ability to access legal or health information; and
WHEREAS, our community encourages all employers to evaluate the accessibility of their businesses to people with disabilities and to make improvements where needed; and
WHEREAS, we encourage community members, including those with disabilities to acknowledge accessible businesses and organizations by using the hashtag (#)DisabilityIndependenceDay on social media.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Juan González III, Mayor of San Leandro, declare July 26, 2023, as National Disability Independence Day in San Leandro, and call upon our residents, public and private institutions, businesses, and schools to affirm the principals of equality and inclusion for persons with disabilities, to celebrate the freedom the ADA inspires with forward thinking design and technology, and to bring forth the promise of hope and freedom that is envisioned by the passage of the ADA.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of San Leandro to be affixed this 17th day of July 2023.
Juan González III, Mayor
City of San Leandro