The following proclamation was made on July 26, 2020:
State of Maine – PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, July 26, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life; and WHEREAS, the ADA has expanded opportunities for individuals with disabilities by increasing awareness, removing barriers, changing perceptions, and promoting greater inclusion in community life; and
WHEREAS, the full promise of the ADA will only be reached if public entities, including the State of Maine, remain committed by providing leadership and continued attention to its purpose; and
WHEREAS, the State of Maine recognizes that all people within its borders have the right to fully participate in leading productive and active lives without regard to their disabilities, and that supporting the rights of persons with disabilities is essential to the economic and social well-being of the entire State; and
WHEREAS, the State of Maine has enacted laws, issued orders, and adopted policies to protect the rights of people with disabilities, to provide accessibility for people with disabilities in all State programs, and to comply with and carry out the State’s responsibilities under the ADA; and
WHEREAS, the removal of barriers to equal opportunity for all that limit the participation of people with disabilities in employment, programs, and activities of the State of Maine remains an ongoing focus and requires the concerted efforts of all agencies and their partners to devote resources to coordinate ADA compliance; and
WHEREAS, State government bears a unique responsibility in demonstrating to all people the goals and values of our common life, including serving as a model of accessibility, inclusion, and nondiscrimination for people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, with information technology and digital services continually becoming a more integral part of everyday life, the State of Maine responsibilities described in Executive Order 2 FY 11/12 are reaffirmed in their entirety, with modifications to ensure that agency procured, utilized, or created digital information and services are available to people with disabilities in an accessible format;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Janet T. Mills, Governor of the great State of Maine, do hereby proclaim the week of July 26, 2020 as ADA Recognition Week throughout the State of Maine and I urge all citizens to celebrate the great progress made under the ADA, reaffirm the principle of equality and inclusion, and recommit our efforts to full accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities in compliance with the ADA.
In testimony whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this sixteenth day of July Two Thousand Twenty.
/s/
Janet T. Mills
Governor
/s/
Matthew Dunlap
Secretary of State