Item Description:
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Recognizing July as Disability Pride Month in Hennepin County - offered by Commissioner Fernando
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WHEREAS, Disability Pride Month is an annual observance in July that celebrates disability identity and community, marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and advocates for full inclusion of people with disabilities in everyday life; and
WHEREAS, the first official Disability Pride Month was celebrated in July 2015, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the ADA, signed on July 26, 1990, and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over 1 in 4, or greater than 70 million, adults in the United States report having a disability, and
WHEREAS, many people with disabilities and their families face decreasing access to services and benefits, including cuts to health care, food assistance, and special education services, as well as rising stigma and bullying, and limited access to education, jobs and healthcare, and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County is committed to accessibility for our employees, upholding ADA standards for our workforce, and has an AccessAbility Employee Resource Group whose mission is “to create a culture that allows people living and working with disabilities to have successful, inclusive, sustained careers with the county”; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County is also committed to eliminating barriers for our residents by strengthening digital accessibility across our web and mobile platforms, and by increasing ADA access across county roadways and transit options, and
WHEREAS, everyone deserves inclusion, rights, and respect, without having to earn them. And people with disabilities should be included in making the decisions that shape school, work, health care, and community life.
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners hereby proclaims July as Disability Pride Month in Hennepin County and supports the full inclusion of people with disabilities in everyday life.
Recommendation from County Administrator: No Recommendation