WHEREAS, more than one million people with disabilities have entered the labor force since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990; And,

WHEREAS, as taxpayers, consumers, and workers, people with disabilities are contributing to our society and to their own fulfillment of the American dream; And,

WHEREAS, the AbilityOne Program provides nearly 40,000 Americans who are blind or who have other severe disabilities with rehabilitation, training and job coaching necessary to receive good wages and benefits and gain greater independence and quality of life; And

WHEREAS, the AbilityOne Program empowers people with disabilities who traditionally face an unemployment rate of 70 percent and rely heavily on social support programs; And

WHEREAS, through the AbilityOne Program, community-based nonprofit organizations such as Georgia Industries for the Blind provide employment opportunities to people with disabilities while providing quality, on-time goods and services to the federal government at a competitive price; And

WHEREAS, by employing people who are blind or who have other severe disabilities, the AbilityOne Program is able to help these individuals enjoy full participation in their community, market their AbilityOne skills into other public and private sector jobs and create and sustain employment opportunities; And

WHEREAS, Georgia Industries for the Blind provides employment opportunities and training for people who are blind or have other disabilities enabling them to lead more productive and meaningful lives, support for their families, and develop skills necessary for long-term employment, And

WHEREAS, the City of Colquitt, Georgia recognizes the important contributions of Georgia Industries for the Blind to Colquitt, Georgia and its citizens.

THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Jerry M. Chapman, Mayor of the City of Colquitt, Georgia, do hereby proclaim October, 2009, as:

Disability Employment Awareness Month

in the City of Colquitt and encourage all citizens to recognize the enormous potential of people with disabilities and to work toward their full integration into the workforce.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the City of Colquitt, Georgia to be affixed.

Done at the City of Colquitt Municipal Annex, Colquitt, Georgia, this 5th day of October, 2009.

Jerry M. Chapman, Mayor