{"id":36380,"date":"2017-10-06T14:00:10","date_gmt":"2017-10-06T19:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=36380"},"modified":"2017-10-06T14:00:10","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T19:00:10","slug":"governor-greg-abbott-proclaims-october-persons-with-disabilities-history-and-awareness-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2017\/10\/06\/governor-greg-abbott-proclaims-october-persons-with-disabilities-history-and-awareness-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Greg Abbott Proclaims October Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Governor Greg Abbott Proclaims October Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Throughout our state\u2019s history, Texans with disabilities have played an outsized role in making Texas the greatest state in our nation to live, work and raise a family. Demonstrating the remarkable qualities of the Texas spirit \u2013 courage, independence and ingenuity \u2013 Texans have filled some of our highest offices, fought in historic battles and contributed to the art and culture of our state.<\/p>\n<p>Each October is designated Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month in Texas. The state\u2019s observance was enacted by the 82nd Texas Legislature with the passage of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.capitol.state.tx.us\/tlodocs\/82R\/billtext\/pdf\/HB03616F.pdf#navpanes=0\">House Bill 3616<\/a>. This <a href=\"http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/Docs\/GV\/pdf\/GV.662.pdf\">law<\/a> encourages public schools and state agencies to celebrate the accomplishments of people with disabilities. The intent is to increase public awareness of the many achievements of people with disabilities, to encourage public understanding of the disability rights movement, and to reaffirm the local, state, and federal commitment to providing equality and inclusion for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>House Bill 3616<\/strong> &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.capitol.state.tx.us\/tlodocs\/82R\/billtext\/pdf\/HB03616F.pdf#navpanes=0\">http:\/\/www.capitol.state.tx.us\/tlodocs\/82R\/billtext\/pdf\/HB03616F.pdf#navpanes=0<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sec. 662.001.<\/strong> &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/Docs\/GV\/pdf\/GV.662.pdf\">http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/Docs\/GV\/pdf\/GV.662.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In Governor Abbott\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/gov.texas.gov\/uploads\/files\/organization\/disabilities\/PersonsDisabHistory_andAwarenessMonth2017.pdf\">2017 Proclamation<\/a>, he encourages all Texans to learn more about the achievements of Texans with disabilities who have contributed so much to our society and about the disability rights movement as it takes its rightful place as part of the story of Texas. There is no better place to learn about the story of Texas and Texans with disabilities role in our state\u2019s rich history than the University of Texas at Arlington. This month the UT Arlington is exhibiting their accessible campuses history collection on the ground floor rotunda of the Capitol Building.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In Governor Abbott\u2019s 2017 Proclamation<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/gov.texas.gov\/uploads\/files\/organization\/disabilities\/PersonsDisabHistory_andAwarenessMonth2017.pdf\">https:\/\/gov.texas.gov\/uploads\/files\/organization\/disabilities\/PersonsDisabHistory_andAwarenessMonth2017.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>According to Dr. Sarah Rose with UT Arlington\u2019s Disability Histories Minor Studies Program, people with disabilities make up about twenty percent of the population of the United States and worldwide: one of the largest minorities. Yet their history\u2014and their fight for full civil rights and equal opportunity\u2014is just beginning to be told.<\/p>\n<p>As is often the case, Texans have played a prominent role, especially in the disability rights movement that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. \u201cGodfather of the ADA\u201d Justin W. Dart, Jr. crisscrossed the country during the 1980s, talking with ordinary Americans with disabilities about the barriers they faced. As executive director of the National Council on Disability, \u201cArchitect of the ADA\u201d Lex Frieden guided the drafting of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Bob Kafka of ADAPT of Texas, in turn, organized grassroots protests crucial to raising legislators\u2019 awareness about longstanding, systemic barriers.<\/p>\n<p>For those seeking to learn\u2014or teach\u2014more, one could hardly do better than explore the thousands of virtual artifacts and teaching tools available at the online Disability History Museum (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.disabilitymuseum.org\">http:\/\/www.disabilitymuseum.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Closer to home, University of Texas at Arlington\u2019s new Texas Disability History Collection website <a href=\"http:\/\/library.uta.edu\/txdisabilityhistory\/\">http:\/\/library.uta.edu\/txdisabilityhistory\/<\/a> showcases Texas\u2019s central role in the disability rights movement, especially adapted sports and access to higher education, among many other topics. Students in UT Arlington\u2019s Disability Studies Minor <a href=\"http:\/\/disabilitystudies.uta.edu\">http:\/\/disabilitystudies.uta.edu<\/a> \u2014the first such program in the South\u2014can also study the history of disability. Established in 2013 and sponsored by UTA\u2019s Department of History, the Minor explores the experiences of people with disabilities, as well as how conceptions and representations of disability have shaped human experience.<\/p>\n<p>GCPD\u2019s Executive Director Ron Lucey remarked, \u201cThis year we are proud to partner with the University of Texas at Arlington to support additions to their disability history collection through gathering informational interviews with prominent Texans who shaped the disability rights movement of the 20th and 21st centuries. The next chapter in the story of Texas is still being written. Working at the Office of the Governor I\u2019m reminded by historic images in our building and through our current interactions with leaders in the disability rights movement that Texans with disabilities make meaningful contributions that continue to shape the future direction of our great nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Governor&#8217;s Committee on People with Disabilities (Committee)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Governor Greg Abbott Proclaims October Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month Throughout our state\u2019s history, Texans with disabilities have played an outsized role in making Texas the greatest state in our nation to live, work and raise a family.&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2017\/10\/06\/governor-greg-abbott-proclaims-october-persons-with-disabilities-history-and-awareness-month\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[25847,25846,511,637,25845,985,1800,6197,17],"class_list":["post-36380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-awareness-month","tag-disabilioty","tag-disabilities","tag-disability","tag-governor-greg-abbott","tag-history","tag-october","tag-proclamation","tag-texas"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-9sM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39878,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2019\/10\/24\/governor-abbott-declares-october-persons-with-disabilities-history-and-awareness-month\/","url_meta":{"origin":36380,"position":0},"title":"Governor Abbott Declares October Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month 2019","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"October 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Celebrating Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month In 2011, the 82nd Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 3616, which officially designated October as Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month. HB 3616 encouraged public schools and state agencies to celebrate the accomplishments of people with disabilities, and to take\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Governor-Abbott-Declares-October-Persons-with-Disabilities-History-an_-mail.google.com_.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Governor-Abbott-Declares-October-Persons-with-Disabilities-History-an_-mail.google.com_.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Governor-Abbott-Declares-October-Persons-with-Disabilities-History-an_-mail.google.com_.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Governor-Abbott-Declares-October-Persons-with-Disabilities-History-an_-mail.google.com_.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38229,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2018\/09\/27\/governor-abbott-proclaims-deaf-awareness-week-in-texas-september-23-29-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":36380,"position":1},"title":"Governor Abbott proclaims Deaf Awareness Week in Texas (September 23-29, 2018)","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"September 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Governor Abbott proclaims Deaf Awareness Week in Texas (September 23-29, 2018) Organizations worldwide celebrate Deaf Awareness Week in September, a celebration of the achievements of the Deaf community and the rich world of Deaf culture. As communities across Texas host Deaf Awareness Week celebrations, Governor Greg Abbott issues a proclamation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/proclamation-Deaf-Awareness-Week-full-2018-622x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24854,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2013\/10\/02\/texas-persons-with-disabilities-history-and-awareness-month-proclamation\/","url_meta":{"origin":36380,"position":2},"title":"Texas Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month 2013 &#8211; Proclamation","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"October 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"October is Texas Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month Welcome to the Governor\u2019s Committee on People with Disabilities\u2019 celebration of Texas Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month! Each business day during the month of October, the Governor\u2019s Committee will distribute a fact related to disability history. This year\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44491,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2023\/09\/18\/celebrate-deaf-awareness-week-with-the-governors-committee-on-people-with-disabilities\/","url_meta":{"origin":36380,"position":3},"title":"Celebrate Deaf Awareness Week with the Governor&#8217;s Committee on People with Disabilities 2023","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"September 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Celebrate Deaf Awareness Week with the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities ASL Version (Zoom webpage) The Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, proclaims September 18th through 24, 2023 as Deaf Awareness Week. With this proclamation, Governor Abbott honors the unique experiences and rewarding contributions of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Read-the-Governors-Proclamation-for-Deaf-Awareness-Week-small.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Read-the-Governors-Proclamation-for-Deaf-Awareness-Week-small.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Read-the-Governors-Proclamation-for-Deaf-Awareness-Week-small.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45646,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2025\/09\/12\/governor-abbott-announces-2025-lex-frieden-employment-award-winners\/","url_meta":{"origin":36380,"position":4},"title":"Governor Abbott Announces 2025 Lex Frieden Employment Award Winners","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"September 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Governor Abbott Announces 2025 Lex Frieden Employment Award Winners Governor Greg Abbott today announced the 2025 winners of the Lex Frieden Employment Awards (LFEA) for their commitment to hiring and supporting the employment of individuals with disabilities. \"In life, we are not defined by the challenges that we face but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Governor-Abbott-Announces-2025-Lex-Frieden-Employment-Award-Winners-2025.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Governor-Abbott-Announces-2025-Lex-Frieden-Employment-Award-Winners-2025.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Governor-Abbott-Announces-2025-Lex-Frieden-Employment-Award-Winners-2025.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34316,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2016\/09\/29\/texans-with-disabilities-observe-national-preparedness-month\/","url_meta":{"origin":36380,"position":5},"title":"Texans with Disabilities Observe National Preparedness Month","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"September 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Texans with Disabilities Observe National Preparedness Month September is National Preparedness Month (NPM) and Texas Preparedness Month, as proclaimed by Governor Greg Abbott. This month serves as a reminder that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36380"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36382,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36380\/revisions\/36382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}