Proclamation
Whereas, October 2023 marks the 78th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and 2023 is also the 50th anniversary of the first federal legislation to address access and equity for people with disabilities – the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and Whereas, the 2023 NDEAM theme is “Advancing Access and Equity: Then, Now & Next,” celebrating the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibited discrimination based on disability in employment by federal agencies, federal contractors, and recipients of federal funds, as well as in the delivery of federally funded programs and activities; and Whereas, while NDEAM was historically intended to highlight people with physical disabilities, since 1962, it has also recognized the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities, including hidden or invisible disabilities; and Whereas, NDEAM helps educate the public about disability employment issues, and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities to the workplace and the economy; and
Whereas, in Alameda, we celebrate Disability Awareness and Acceptance Month to affirm the progress the City has made in improving employment opportunities, government services, public accommodations, and transportation resources for people with disabilities , while recognizing there is still work to be done to remove physical and social bar riers that unreasonably prevent the full participation of individuals with disabilities; and Whereas, in 1974, the Alameda City Council established a committee to provide a public forum to address local disability issues . To day, the Commission on Persons with Disabilities advises the City Council, City departments, and other boards and commissions on issues affecting people with disabilities, and actions the City can take to assure equal access for persons with disabilities to programs, housing, facilities, and services, and to promote attitudes and behaviors that respect and value community members with disabilities.
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that I, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Mayor of the City of Alameda, do hereby proclaim October 2023 as
Disability Awareness and Acceptance Month
in the City of Alameda to urge our community to promote equal opportunity and practice respectful acceptance for all.
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft
Mayor