Subscribe

The White House Blog: Disabilities

  • One Step Closer to Full Access

    Posted by Kareem Dale on March 9, 2010 at 10:31 AM EDT

    Change.  Finding common ground.  These are hallmarks of this Administration.  And today, we move one step closer to full access to books and materials for millions of Americans with print and other disabilities.  While much work remains to be done, the community of stakeholders has taken a noteworthy and important step forward.

    The Reading Rights Coalition, the Authors Guild, and the Association of American Publishers have issued a joint statement stating “that the contents of books should be as accessible to individuals with print disabilities as they are to everyone else.”  They further agreed to work together to reach this desired goal.

    As a person who is blind myself and thoroughly enjoys reading, I applaud these groups and organizations for coming together to bring about needed change.  We look forward to continuing to work with all Americans to support access to materials for persons with print disabilities.

    Kareem Dale is Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy

    Learn more about Disabilities

  • Another Giant Step Forward for America's Children

    Posted by Kareem Dale on December 10, 2009 at 10:39 AM EDT

    Nearly seven months ago, approximately 50 disability advocates, representatives of national teacher organizations, other education professionals and Administration officials gathered at the White House to discuss restraint and seclusion in schools. President Obama and his Administration are committed to ensuring that every child learns in a safe and secure school environment. Improper use of restraint and seclusion techniques to subdue children deemed by teachers as unruly or otherwise disruptive disproportionately affects children with disabilities, many of whom fall victim to instructors and care-givers who lack proper training. 

    The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act, introduced by House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Senator Chris Dodd, will protect all children from harmful and improper types of restraint and seclusion. We applaud Senator Dodd, Chairman Miller, and Representative McMorris Rodgers for their hard work and their commitment to protecting children.  

    Working in collaboration with these members of Congress, President Obama's Administration is committed to ending harmful restraint and seclusion. On July 31, after Congressional hearings on the subject, Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrote to all Chief State School Officers, urging them to review their current policies and guidelines regarding the use of restraint and seclusion techniques in schools and, if appropriate, develop or revise them to ensure student safety

    On Tuesday, Secretary Duncan wrote to Senator Dodd, Chairman Miller and Representative McMorris Rodgers, applauding them for identifying key legislative principles and committing to work with Congress. Secretary Duncan's recommendations align well with the legislation they have introduced, and provide an important blueprint for the Administration, Congress and advocates to work together to protect America's children.

    This much-needed legislation illustrates that, when we work together to find common ground, we can overcome any hurdle. We look forward to working with Congress, advocates, teachers, and education professionals to ensure that all of America's children can learn in a safe, secure environment.

    Kareem Dale is an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement and Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy

    Learn more about Disabilities

  • Valerie Jarrett & Ambassador Rice at the U.S. Signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons

    Posted by Kareem Dale on July 30, 2009 at 7:26 PM EDT

    As Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, what happened today was a reminder of how monumental what we do here really is. Valerie Jarrett joined Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, as she signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on behalf of my country. It has been a chaotic day, but I wanted to share their remarks at the signing with all of you as soon as possible:
    Ambassador Rice: Thank you all so much. It’s really a tremendous honor to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on behalf of the United States.
    This Treaty, as you all know, is the first new human rights convention of the 21st century adopted by the United Nations and further advances the human rights of the 650 million people with disabilities worldwide. It urges equal protection and equal benefits under the law for all citizens, it rejects discrimination in all its forms, and calls for the full participation and inclusion in society of all persons with disabilities.
    The United States is very pleased to join the 141 other countries that have signed this Convention in pursuit of a more just world. President Obama will soon submit it to the Senate for its advice and consent.
    So let me offer my congratulations and thanks to all of you who worked so hard to make this day possible.
    We all still have a great deal more to do at home and abroad. As President Obama has noted, people with disabilities far too often lack the choice to live in communities of their own choosing; their unemployment rate is much higher than those without disabilities; they are much more likely to live in poverty; health care is out of reach for far too many; and too many children with disabilities are denied a world-class education around the world. Discrimination against people with disabilities is not simply unjust; it hinders economic development, limits democracy, and erodes societies.
    These challenges will not disappear with the stroke of a pen. Our work is not complete until we have an enduring guarantee of the inherent dignity, worth, and independence of all persons with disabilities worldwide. Let the signing of the Treaty today be an ongoing source of inspiration for us all in our shared struggle to bring old barriers down.
    Thank you, it’s now my great pleasure to introduce my good friend and colleague Valerie Jarrett, who as you all know currently serves as Senior Advisor to President Obama and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. She traveled here from Washington today for this historic moment, and we are glad you are here. Thank you so much.
    Ms. Jarrett: Thank you Ambassador Rice. Ambassador Rice has been a trusted advisor and friend of President Obama and has provided invaluable advice and counsel and guidance throughout both his campaign and in the early months of his administration. We are so proud of her efforts and hard work and the men and women serving at the U.S. Mission, working on the front lines of the Administration’s effort to usher in a new era of engagement.
    I am thrilled to be joining Ambassador Rice on this occasion, as the United States takes this historic step toward advancing our global commitment to fundamental human rights for all persons with disabilities.
    Last week, the President took a bold step forward for our country and announced that the United States of America would sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Now we fulfill his commitment, and the United States of America proudly joins the 141 other nations in signing this extraordinary Convention – the first new human rights convention of the 21st century.
    Today, as Susan mentioned, 650 million people – ten percent of the world’s population – live with a disability. In developing countries, ninety percent of the children with disabilities do not attend school. And women and girls with disabilities are too often the subject of deep discrimination. This extraordinary treaty calls on all nations to guarantee the rights of those that afforded under the Americans with Disabilities Act, urges equal protection and equal benefit before the law for all citizens, and reaffirms the inherent dignity, worth, and independence of all persons with disabilities worldwide.
    It is fitting that we are signing this Convention just a few days after the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Due in large part to the ADA, we have made great progress. But as the President said last Friday, and as the Ambassador just said, we are still not satisfied. We have much work to do.
    Today, the President, together with Secretary Clinton, once again demonstrate their commitment to people with disabilities at home and around the world, and I am pleased to announce the creation of a new, senior level disability human rights position at the State Department. This individual will be charged with developing a comprehensive strategy to promote the rights of persons with disabilities internationally; he or she will coordinate a process for the ratification of the Convention in conjunction with the other federal offices; last but not least, this leader will serve as a symbol of public diplomacy on disability issues, and work to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities are addressed in international situations. By appointing the necessary personnel to lead and ensure compliance on disability human rights issues, the President reinforces his commitment to the UN Convention.
    We look forward to the Senate giving swift consideration and approval to the Convention once the President submits it them for their advice and consent.
    With this signing, we once again confirm that disability rights are not just civil rights to be enforced here at home; they are universal human rights to be promoted around the world. So we proudly join the international community in protecting the human rights for all, thank you very much.
    In attendance at the signing ceremony were the following guests:
    • Mr. Carl Augusto, President and CEO, American Foundation for the Blind
    • Ms. Marca Bristo, President and CEO, Access Living; Chair, US International Council on Disabilities
    • Ms. Ann Cody, Director of Policy and Global Outreach, BlazeSports America
    • Mr. Fred Doulton, Social Affairs Officer, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
    • Ms. Akiko Ito, Chief, Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
    • Jessica Neuwirth, Director of the New York Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
    • Ms. Patricia O’Brien, Chief Legal Advisor, UN
    • Ms. Matthew Sapolin, NYC Commissioner for People with Disabilities
    • Dr. William Kennedy Smith, President and Founder, Center for International Rehabilitation
    • Ms. Marjorie Tiven, Commissioner of the New York City Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol
     

    Learn more about Disabilities

  • Accessibility and the Arts

    Posted by Kareem Dale on July 1, 2009 at 5:35 PM EDT

    It wasn’t opening night at a smash hit on Broadway. And it wasn’t a swanky VIP reception with the First Family. But the guest list would have made you think it was just such an event, with representatives from institutions including Agnes Gund Foundation; Carnegie Hall; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Museum of Modern Art, NYC; Guggenheim Museum, NYC; Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC; Museum of Modern Art, NYC; Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta; Museum of Science, Boston; Smithsonian Institution; Birmingham Museum of Art; Art Beyond Sight Institute/Art Education for the Blind; National Gallery of Art, DC; Indianapolis Museum of Art; Institute of Museum and Library Services; North Carolina Museum of Life and Science; American Association of Museums; National Endowment for the Arts; National Endowment for the Humanities; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; Cincinnati Museum Center; and American Institute for Research. Instead, these legendary arts institutions came to the White House to discuss accessibility to their institutions for people with disabilities. Such is the influence of the President, who has repeatedly affirmed his commitment to ensuring the inclusion of Americans with disabilities throughout the fabric of our country. 
    Hosted by Social Secretary Desiree Rogers and the Office of Public Engagement, these major institutions came together to discuss how they have succeeded and how they can further improve and help others succeed in making arts institutions more accessible to people with disabilities. Ms. Rogers opened the meeting by explaining the White House’s commitment to accessibility and expressing the importance of art in the White House and how it is important both to broaden the type of art that is displayed in the White House and broaden the range of people who visit the building.
    Meeting on accesibility and the arts
    (Photo credit: Trenton Arthur)
    The meeting participants seemed to agree that no similar meeting in this industry had ever taken place at the White House. Significantly, the group expressed how simply bringing these institutions and groups together fostered discussion and idea generation on an unprecedented level. They discussed interpreting for the deaf, audio description for the blind, tactile maps and art work, and other mechanisms for making institutions accessible. Perhaps most importantly, the institutions engaged in discussions about developing a long-term permanent strategy for institutions to ensure accessibility. For example, they mentioned hiring or working with people with disabilities in their local communities to help develop accessibility plans.
    The group departed from the meeting determined to keep the discussion alive in hopes of increasing accessibility for all Americans. Indeed, they plan to create an on-line dialog about these critical issues. 

    Kareem Dale is Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy.

    Learn more about Disabilities

  • "Still Thriving and Excelling Long After Helen Keller"

    Posted by Kareem Dale on June 29, 2009 at 3:32 PM EDT

    Another day at the White House, another chance for President Obama to make history for people with disabilities. And, he did just that. 
    On Friday, June 26, 2009, President Barack Obama became one of the very few sitting American Presidents to personally greet and welcome persons who are deaf-blind to the White House Oval Office. 
     
    Celebrating Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week.
    [View Full Size] 

    (President Barack Obama meets with a group from the Helen Keller National Center in the Oval Office June 26, 2009.  Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

    The group featured five young adults (Crystal Morales, Kelvin Crosby, Virginia Jordan, Divya Goel, and Jason Corning) affiliated with the Helen Keller National Center ("HKNC") including a musician with two CDs to her credit, a surfer and aspiring field goal kicker, a Cum Laude graduate who wants to start a school, an aspiring restaurant manager, and a winner of the Wisconsin Council for Exceptional Children "Yes I Can" award for Advocacy and Independent Living. Two staff members and 3 volunteers from the HKNC also joined the young adults. 
    They were in D.C. to celebrate Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week. This year’s theme for the week was Deaf-Blindness Didn’t Stop with Helen Keller. The focus of the week was to demonstrate that successful deaf-blind persons are still thriving and excelling long after Helen Keller. 
    The week culminated with their visit to the White House. They visited the White House in the morning, where they received a tour of the public residence. From hanging out in the First Lady’s East Reception Room, to playing the same piano played by Stevie Wonder, to visiting the China Room, the tour was a major hit with the young adults. They returned in the afternoon for the icing on the already incredibly rich cake to take a photo with the President in the Oval Office. The President congratulated the young adults on their accomplishments and reminded them that we remain committed to improving the lives of people with disabilities.
    This visit was not and should not be viewed as a sympathetic thing for the President to do. Rather, it reflects this President’s commitment to, and understanding of, the desire for all people with disabilities to be fully integrated into society. These young adults are proof that if provided with the necessary supports and services, people with disabilities can and will achieve anything they desire. Recognizing Deaf-Blind Awareness Week by inviting these young adults to the White House further solidifies the extraordinary commitment of this entire administration to all people with disabilities. 
    Kareem Dale is Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy.

    Learn more about Disabilities

  • "It's Good Weather for a Race"

    Posted by Jesse Lee on April 30, 2009 at 7:36 PM EDT

    Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.

    download .mp4 (95.1 MB) | also available here | read the transcript
    Today, after being introduced by Defense Secretary Gates, the President gave a few remarks on the South Lawn before kicking off the "White House to Light" House Wounded Warrior Soldiers Ride. The race raises public awareness of the challenges facing veterans as they recover from life-altering injuries, and it drew quite a crowd, including Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, National Security Advisor General Jim Jones, and Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Tammy Duckworth.
    The President gave a little more background:
    Now, like a lot of great ideas, this one was conceived in a bar. (Laughter and applause.) A young bartender on Long Island named Chris Carney began talking about biking across the country to raise funds and awareness for returning troops and wounded warriors. And his boss said to him, "If you don't do it, I'll find somebody who will."
    So Chris hopped on his bike for what became the first annual Soldier Ride. The next year, a couple of wounded warriors joined him. A year later, even more. Civilians started to ride along. Grateful Americans began lining the streets to cheer and show their support. More rides were added, and more money was raised.
    And five years after that first ride, I'm honored to have 40 wounded warriors gathered here on the South Lawn to kick off the third annual "White House to the Lighthouse" Challenge. Over the next three days -- (applause) -- over the next three days these men and women, along with family and supporters, will ride from here to Annapolis on bicycles and in wheelchairs, raising money and awareness for others returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious injuries.
    Keep in mind that today's riders once faced down the possibility that they might never have an active lifestyle again. Some are missing limbs, coping with nerve damage, living with Traumatic Brain Injury or blindness. Some have endured painful rehabilitation, some still are, and some have battles yet to come.
    These wounded warriors didn't get to choose the direction their lives would take the instant they were injured. But now they choose to prove that life after injury isn't about what you can't do -- it's about what you can. They choose to keep their faith with the future. They choose to keep fighting for their brothers and sisters and show them that they're not alone.
    We also remember that so many are supported by spouses and children, parents and siblings who suffered the absence of a loved one, and then stood by their side through their recovery. These military families are heroes, too. And they are a top priority for Michelle and me, and they will always have our support.
    To anyone who's along their route this weekend, I ask you to go out there and cheer. Salute. Say thank you. And we'll do our part to support our troops, their families, and all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America -- because when it comes to their service and sacrifice, warm words and gestures are more than warranted, but they're not nearly enough.
     
    The 'White House to Light House' Wounded Warrior Soldier's Ride
    (President Barack Obama applauds the cyclists at the start of the 'White House to Light House' Wounded Warrior Soldier's ride on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, April 30, 2009.  Also taking part in the ceremony were Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, and Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth.  Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

    Learn more about Disabilities, Veterans

  • "Protecting That Which Fuels Our Spirit"

    Posted by Jesse Lee on March 30, 2009 at 8:06 PM EDT

    This afternoon President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, one of the most sweeping pieces of conservation and public land management legislation in years.
    Interior Secretary Ken Salazar joined the President, and spoke eloquently:
    Over the last two centuries, America’s best ideas for protecting our vast lands and open spaces have often arrived while our country has faced its greatest trials.

    It was in the midst of our nation’s bloodiest conflict – the Civil War – that President Abraham Lincoln set aside the lands that are now Yosemite National Park.

    It was at the dawn of the 20th century, with our cities and industries growing and our open lands and watersheds disappearing, that President Teddy Roosevelt expanded our national parks and set aside the world’s largest system of lands dedicated to wildlife conservation, the national wildlife refuge system.

    And it was in the darkest days of the Great Depression that President Franklin Roosevelt put three million young Americans to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps.  They built the trails, campgrounds, parks, and conservation projects we enjoy today.

    In these moments when our national character is most tested we rightly seek to protect that which fuels our spirit.  

    For America’s national character - our optimism, our dreams, our shared stories – are rooted in our landscapes.

    The President echoed his sentiments:
    As Americans, we possess few blessings greater than the vast and varied landscapes that stretch the breadth of our continent. Our lands have always provided great bounty -- food and shelter for the first Americans, for settlers and pioneers; the raw materials that grew our industry; the energy that powers our economy.
    What these gifts require in return is our wise and responsible stewardship.  As our greatest conservationist President, Teddy Roosevelt, put it almost a century ago, "I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us."
    That's the spirit behind the bipartisan legislation I'm signing today -- legislation among the most important in decades to protect, preserve, and pass down our nation’s most treasured landscapes to future generations.
    As the President noted, however, there is another hopeful element to the legislation, namely the Christopher and Dana Reeve's Paralysis Act, which boosts research and rehabilitation for paralysis:
    That's the mission of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.  In the lobby of their facility in New Jersey sits Christopher’s empty wheelchair.  And his son, Matthew Reeve, was once asked if the sight of it ever saddened him, and he replied no.  He said, "Empty chairs -- that was Dad's goal," he said.  "We hope there will be many more of them."
    Matthew is here with us today.  And the legislation I'm about to sign makes solid progress toward the realization of that hope and the promise of a brighter future.
     
    President Obama Signs the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009(President Barack Obama shakes hands with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid after signing the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009.  White House Photo, 3/30/09, Chuck Kennedy)

    Learn more about Disabilities, Energy & Environment

  • Biden honors a movement at the Special Olympics

    Posted by Jesse Lee on February 13, 2009 at 7:25 PM EDT

    Yesterday Vice President Biden honored what he called the "movement" for the rights of the disabled.
    To do so, he visited a premiere institution of that movement, the Special Olympics, being held this year in Boise, Idaho. And as meaningful as the medals he awarded to the figure skaters there were, even more significant was his assurance that the cause would always have an advocate in this White House, announcing Kareem Dale as Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy.
    Vice President Biden and Kareem Dale
    Photo credit: Vice President Joseph Biden announces that Kareem Dale, 3rd from left,  has been appointed Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy during the Winter Special Olympics site at Boise State University Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009 in Boise, Idaho. White House photo by Sharon Farmer
    Dale, who has been with President Obama for years and is partially blind, said he was "just humbled and honored for the faith the president and vice president have shown in me."
    The Vice President praised Dale and emphasized the importance of the position: "He is going to have absolutely direct access to the president. What we’re trying to do is make sure that not only do we deal with getting support for what you’re seeing happening at these Winter Games, but also to make sure that persons with disabilities are in position to also be in the work force, so they don’t have to choose, like many have to do now, between staying in a job that’s a dead-end job that they don’t like, or else leaving a job that they like because it’s the only way to get health care."
    He continued, "Look, this is a movement. What started off as an avenue and an outlet and a recognition for athletes has turned into a worldwide movement. This is about to change the attitude, change the attitude of governments, change the attitude of individuals.
    "It’s a big deal. I started off in the civil rights movement. This is a civil rights movement. This is a movement to make sure that we guarantee that all peoples in the world have the opportunity to succeed to the degree they are capable."

    Learn more about Disabilities