Office of the Mayor

Proclamation

Lawrence, Kansas

WHEREAS:       In 2009, we celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, the inventor of the invaluable writing system; and

WHEREAS:       The National Federation of the Blind was founded in 1940 to end discrimination against the blind and to secure first-class citizenship for all blind persons, including fighting braille illiteracy among the blind, and with over fifty thousand members, it is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States; and

WHEREAS:       The white cane or guide dog, which every blind citizen of our state has the right to use, demonstrates and symbolizes the ability to achieve a full and independent life and the capacity to work productively in competitive employment; and

WHEREAS:       The white cane or guide dog, by allowing every blind person to move freely and safely from place to place, makes it possible for the blind to fully participate in and contribute to our society; and

WHEREAS:       Since blind people and blindness are still frequently misunderstood, the National Federation of the Blind has developed a public education campaign, Meet the Blind Month, to create opportunities for the people of Kansas to learn firsthand that blind people are basically like everyone else;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Rob Chestnut, Mayor of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2009 to be

“MEET THE BLIND MONTH”

And October 15, 2009 to be

“WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY”

In Lawrence and urge all citizens to recognize the white cane or guide dog as an instrument of safety and self-help for blind pedestrians on our streets and highways.

                                                                                         Rob Chestnut, Mayor

                             October 6, 2009