SAMPLE PROCLAMATION FOR DISABILITY MENTORING DAY 2007

WHEREAS, more than one million people with disabilities have entered the labor force since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990; and,
WHEREAS, as taxpayers, consumers, and workers, people with disabilities are contributing to our society and to their own fulfillment of the American dream; and,
WHEREAS, new generations of young people with disabilities are growing up in [City Name, County Name, or State Name], graduating from high school, going to college, and preparing to participate in the workplace; and,
WHEREAS, job seekers with disabilities, regardless of age, are striving to attain economic independence through self-sufficiency and gainful employment; and,
WHEREAS, both students and job seekers with disabilities have the right to maximize their potential by making the most of their intellect, talents, and abilities in an environment free of physical, programmatic, and attitudinal barriers; and,
WHEREAS, Disability Mentoring Day provides an opportunity for students and job seekers with all types of disabilities to gain insight into career options by spending part of their day in the workplace "shadowing" an employee as he or she goes through a normal day on the job; and
WHEREAS, employers from the private, governmental, and non-profit sectors may benefit from mentoring people with disabilities as a way of learning about the experience of disability, developing lasting relationships with disability community leaders, and recruiting new and emerging talent for meaningful internship and employment opportunities; and
WHEREAS, these efforts are made possible through a broad partnership with the American Association of People with Disabilities and a dedicated local team of organizers from businesses, non-profit organizations, school districts, colleges and universities, and government agencies [modify this list according to your own Local Organizing Committee make-up or state the name of the local coordinating organization(s) instead];
Now, Therefore, Be it RESOLVED that I, [Full Name of Elected Official], [Mayor / County Executive / Governor] of the [City / County / State] of [Name of City or State] do hereby proclaim Wednesday, October 17, 2007, as:

Disability Mentoring Day
in the [City/County/State] and encourage all citizens to recognize the enormous potential of people with disabilities and to work toward their full integration into the workforce.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the [City/County/State] of [Name of City/County/State] to be affixed.
Done at [the County Hall of Administration / City Hall / the Capitol], City of [Name of City], State of [Name of State], this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand Seven, and in the [insert age of state, e.g. "One Hundred Sixty Second year"] of the [City/State].
[End of Proclamation]

***  NOTE:  Only insert the name of the city or state when expressly mentioned.  Where the text says "[City/County/State]", merely insert the applicable word.
	
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
1629 K Street NW, Suite 503, Washington DC 20006
V/TTY: 202-457-0046/800-840-8844 * Email: dmdaapd@aol.com * www.dmd-aapd.org