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Proclamation 7347--National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2000

September 29, 2000

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act and the 10th anniversary of the Americans 
with Disabilities Act (ADA). These two landmark civil rights laws have 
opened the doors of opportunity for people with disabilities and 
increased our awareness of the enormous contributions that Americans 
with disabilities can make to our national life.
    A decade ago, when we were debating the Americans with Disabilities 
Act, critics said that making workplaces, public transportation, public 
facilities, and telecommunications more accessible would be too costly 
and burdensome. But they have been proved wrong. Since passage of the 
ADA in 1990, more than a million men and women with disabilities have 
entered the labor force and, as taxpayers, consumers, and workers, they 
are contributing to a period of unprecedented prosperity and record 
employment in our country.
    Throughout my Administration, we have worked hard to break down the 
barriers that people with disabilities continue to face on a daily 
basis. In 1998, I signed the Workforce Investment Act, requiring that 
information technology purchased by the Federal Government be accessible 
to people with disabilities. In 1999, I was proud to sign the Ticket to 
Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, which enables Americans with 
disabilities to retain their Medicare or Medicaid coverage when they go 
to work, because no one should have to choose between health care and a 
job. We are also dramatically expanding the income students with 
disabilities can earn while retaining access to disability benefits; and 
to lead by example, we are hiring more people with disabilities 
throughout the Federal Government.
    Today's revolution in information and communications technology 
offers us powerful new tools to expand employment and training 
opportunities for people with disabilities. Whether translating web 
pages aloud for people who are blind or visually impaired, creating 
captioning for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, or enabling people 
with physical disabilities to control a computer through eye movement 
and brain waves, these technologies show enormous potential for 
increasing access to employment and full participation in society. We 
are exploring ways that Medicare and Medicaid can be enhanced to cover 
the cost of assistive technology so that people can live and work more 
independently in the communities of their choosing. And I was pleased to 
announce on September 21 that dozens of corporate leaders from the 
technology sector and the presidents of many of America's leading 
research universities have pledged to make their products and services 
accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.
    A new generation of young people with disabilities is growing up in 
America today--graduating from high school, going to college, and 
preparing to participate fully in the workplace. They have a right to 
make the

[[Page 2274]]

most of their potential, and our Nation must make the most of their 
intellect, talents, and abilities. By working together to break down 
barriers for Americans with disabilities, we will keep our economy 
growing, make a lasting investment in the future of our country, and 
uphold our fundamental commitment to justice and equality for all our 
people.
    To recognize the enormous potential of individuals with disabilities 
and to encourage all Americans to work toward their full integration 
into the workforce, the Congress, by joint resolution approved August 
11, 1945, as amended (36 U.S.C. 121), has designated October of each 
year as ``National Disability Employment Awareness Month.''
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim October 2000 as National 
Disability Employment Awareness Month. I call upon Government officials, 
educators, labor leaders, employers, and the people of the United States 
to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities that 
reaffirm our determination to fulfill the letter and spirit of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 
day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fifth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 3, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on September 30, and it was published in the Federal Register 
on October 4.


<DOC>
[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]
                         

[Page 2274-2275]
 
Monday, October 9, 2000
 
Volume 36--Number 40
Pages 2269-2347
 
Week Ending Friday, October 6, 2000
 
Proclamation 7349--Child Health Day, 2000

September 29, 2000

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    As parents and as concerned citizens, we have a profound 
responsibility to ensure that America's children not only receive a 
healthy start in life, but also that they continue to grow and develop 
in a nurturing environment where they have the opportunity to reach 
their full potential.
    Recognizing the importance of healthy, happy children to the future 
of our Nation, my Administration has strived to offer America's families 
the tools they need to fulfill their responsibilities. In 1997, I was 
proud to sign into law the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the 
largest investment in children's health care since the creation of 
Medicaid 35 years ago. This innovative program allows States to use 
Federal funds to provide health insurance for children of working 
families whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low 
to afford private health insurance. Children with health insurance are 
more likely to receive the immunizations and other preventive care they 
need to avoid serious illnesses and to enjoy a healthier start in life. 
In March of 1997, only 4 States provided such coverage for children. 
Today, 30 States have plans approved to cover qualified children, and I 
have proposed an additional $5.5 billion over the next 10 years to cover 
even more children and to raise awareness of CHIP among families who may 
not realize they are eligible.
    In addition to quality health care, children need nutritious meals 
every day. I am pleased that our national school lunch program provides 
healthy lunches to more than 25 million students in more than 96,000 
schools across our nation, ensuring that some of our most vulnerable 
children can look forward to at least one healthy meal each day. We can 
also be heartened to know that children enrolled in programs funded 
under the Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Program for 
Women, Infants, and Children not only receive the nutritious food they 
need, but also are immunized earlier, perform better in school, and 
spend less time in the doctor's office.
    Since 1965, in addition to engaging parents in the early educational 
development of their children, the Head Start program has provided 
medical, mental health, nutrition, and dental services to more than 17 
million children from birth to age 5. My Administration will continue 
this investment by increasing Head Start funding in our proposed fiscal

[[Page 2275]]

2001 budget by $1 billion--the largest Head Start expansion in history.
    It is also our responsibility to ensure that our children feel part 
of a safe, strong, nurturing community. Through our Safe Schools/Healthy 
Students initiative, my Administration is helping parents, school 
principals, police, and mental health providers to collaborate on local 
solutions to school and youth violence. My proposed budget for fiscal 
2001 includes an increase of more than $100 million for this program. I 
have also called on the Congress to allow eligible workers under the 
Family and Medical Leave Act to take up to 24 hours of additional leave 
each year to meet family obligations, including school activities such 
as parent-teacher conferences. America is enjoying a period of 
unprecedented economic success today; but we will never be truly 
successful as a Nation until we ensure that all families have the tools 
and opportunity they need in order to raise healthy children. To 
acknowledge the importance of our children's health, the Congress, by 
joint resolution approved May 18, 1928, as amended (36 U.S.C. 105), has 
called for the designation of the first Monday in October as ``Child 
Health Day'' and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in 
observance of this day.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 2, 2000, as Child 
Health Day. I call upon families, schools, communities, and governments 
to dedicate themselves to promoting and protecting the health and well-
being of all our children.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 
day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fifth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 3, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on September 30, and it was published in the Federal Register 
on October 4.


<DOC>
[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]
                         

[Page 2275-2276]
 
Monday, October 9, 2000
 
Volume 36--Number 40
Pages 2269-2347
 
Week Ending Friday, October 6, 2000
 
The President's Radio Address

September 30, 2000

    Good morning. This has been a good week for America. As our athletes 
continue to pile up medals in Sydney, our economy continues to break 
records at home. This week we learned that household income had reached 
an all-time high, poverty a 20-year low; the budget surplus is the 
largest on record; and for the first time in 12 years, thanks largely to 
the Children's Health Insurance Program, the number of Americans without 
health insurance has declined by over 1\1/2\ million.
    Today I want to talk with you about making the most of this moment, 
by putting our children's education first and building better schools 
for them.
    This fall our schools opened their doors to the largest number of 
students in history. We have to work hard to give them the best 
education in history. We're working to turn our schools around, with 
higher standards, stronger accountability, and more investment. Reading, 
math, and SAT scores are up. So are high school graduation and college-
going rates. We dramatically increased Head Start, after-school, and 
summer school programs. The number of students in States with core 
curriculum standards has increased from 14 to 49, and in State after 
State, failing schools are being turned around.
    With the Vice President's E-rate program, we've helped connect 95 
percent of our schools to the Internet, and we're in the process of 
hiring 100,000 high-quality teachers to reduce class size in the early 
grades.
    But it's hard for students to lift themselves up in schools that are 
falling down. Across our Nation, students are struggling to learn in 
schools that are crowded and crumbling. I visited schools all over the 
country where this is so: a school in Florida where classes were held 
not in one or two but 12 trailers; a school in Queens, where there were 
400 more students than the school was built for; a school in Virginia, 
where the electrical service in some classrooms is so poor that if you 
plug in a new computer in the wall, the circuit breaker cuts off.
    This is a challenge all across our country, in cities and rural 
areas, small towns and Native American communities. The average

[[Page 2276]]

American school building is now more than 40 years old. The estimated 
price tag to bring our schools into good condition--$127 billion.
    Today I'm releasing a new Department of Education analysis that 
highlights the nationwide need to build new schools and modernize 
existing ones. The study provides a State-by-State report card that 
shows that at least 60 percent of the schools in every State are in need 
of repair. Many States and local communities are working to fix their 
schools, but too many school districts simply don't have the tax base to 
handle the burden alone.
    That's why I've proposed a school construction tax credit to help 
communities build or modernize 6,000 schools and, also, grants and loans 
for emergency repairs in nearly 5,000 schools a year for 5 years.
    The good news is, we have a bipartisan majority in the House of 
Representatives ready right now to pass school construction relief. But 
the Republican leadership continues to stand in the way and refuses to 
bring it to a vote. Every day they stall is another day our children are 
forced to go to school in trailers, overcrowded classrooms, and 
crumbling buildings. Congress must act now.
    In a larger sense, this is about our priorities and values. The 
schools I attended as a child were fairly old, but they were very well- 
maintained. They sent every student a clear message: You are important; 
we take your education seriously. That's how my parents' generation kept 
faith with us and how we must keep faith with our children.
    But the clock is ticking. At midnight tonight the fiscal year runs 
out. Congress still hasn't sent me a budget for education and other 
pressing priorities. Yet, they have found the time, first, to pass huge, 
fiscally irresponsible tax cuts and then, after I vetoed them, to load 
up the spending bills with hundreds of millions of dollars in special 
interest projects. In one appropriations bill alone, there is $668 
million in extra projects. That's enough to do emergency repairs in 
2,500 schools, to send another one million children to after-school 
programs, to hire over 15,000 teachers to lower class size.
    Not long ago, Senator McCain said, pork barrel spending, and I 
quote, ``has lurched completely out of control.'' Well, it's time to 
turn off the pork barrel spigot and deliver for our children's future.
    That's why I've told my budget team to seek final negotiations on an 
education budget that stays true to our values and our children's long-
term needs. We're not going to leave the table until we invest in 
modernizing our schools and continue our efforts to hire 100,000 quality 
teachers for smaller classes. We're going to keep fighting to strengthen 
accountability, to turn around failing schools or shut them down or put 
them under new management, to expand after-school programs and college 
opportunities for young people, and to ensure a qualified teacher in 
every classroom.
    Our children deserve 21st century schools. In this time of 
prosperity, we have a responsibility to make sure they get no less. By 
building stronger schools, we'll build a stronger America in the future.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 5:48 p.m. on September 29 in the Oval 
Office at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on September 30. 
The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on September 29 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.

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