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Declaring October as National Disability Employee Awareness Month.
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WHEREAS, The Americans with Disabilities Act passed in July 26th, 1990 promising equal access to equal opportunities and respect for all peoples, and
WHEREAS, The City of Saint Paul continues to make advancements to upholding that law, we must address the injustice that remain in our community against individuals with disabilities. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we celebrate the ways individuals with disabilities strengthen our workforce, our communities and our City. We recommit to cultivating a City where all people are able to build a robust future for themselves and their families; and
WHEREAS, One-fifth of our city residents identify as persons with disabilities. Despite all they contribute to our society, people with disabilities still face discrimination by employers. People with disabilities suffer from higher unemployment rates and also for women and minorities with disabilities, the rate is even higher; and
WHEREAS, As a City we must continue to promote inclusion in the workplace and to tear down the barriers that remain in our policies, our services and our minds; and
WHEREAS, As a city we must actively foster a culture in which individuals are supported and accepted for who they are and in which it is ok to disclose one’s disability without fear of discrimination. Giving individuals the power and strength to be included in opportunities provided for them; and
WHEREAS, October 1st 2020, commences the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Let us pay a tribute to all who fought for better laws, demanded a better treatment and overcame ignorance and indifferences to make our city more inclusive. In honor and for betterment of generations of Saint Paul residents to come. Let us continue the work of removing obstacles to employment so every City resident has the chance to develop their skills and make their unique mark in the world that we share. We urge all residents to embrace the talents and skills that individuals with disabilities bring to our workplaces and communities to promote the rights to equal employment opportunity for all people; and now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, The Saint Paul City Council declares the month of October of each year is hereby established throughout Saint Paul as a day of commemoration which shall be known as “National Disability Employment Awareness Month.”