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Presidential Proclamation --International Day of Persons with Disabilities I whitehouse.gov Page 2 of 3 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, 2016 SHARE THIS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .. A PROCLAMATION Over a quarter-century ago, the United States enshrined into law the principles of equal access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which upholds the principle that each of us is entitled to a set of fundamental freedoms and protections. This progress has made America a leader in advancing the rights of people with disabilities around the globe. On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we celebrate how far we have come in protecting the rights of those who live with disabilities and recommit to shaping a future in which all members of this community can enjoy their full rights and freedoms. Building on the progress of the ADA, my Administration has taken important steps to remove barriers and eliminate discrimination based on disability. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, individuals can no longer be denied coverage because of a pre- existing condition or disability. We have supported increasing funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, reauthorized the Children's Health Insurance Program, and strengthened anti-discrimination and Olmstead enforcement at the Department of Justice. Additionally, we created the first-ever Special Advisor for International Disability Rights, and we established the United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally in order to address violence against women and girls around the world -- because women with a disability are more likely to experience physical and sexual abuse than women without one. And last year, we committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which recognize inclusive education, disability employment, and social acceptance of the disability community as important steps to ending world poverty. Our progress at home reflects our full commitment to the rights of people with disabilities around the world. America was the first country to comprehensively address non-discrimination on the basis of disability in national legislation and declare that disability rights are human rights which must be recognized and promoted everywhere. In my first year in office, the United States joined 140 other https:Hobamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/02/presidential-proclamati... 3/14/2018