Whereas, Disabilities are a part of human diversity; and,

Whereas, Of Michigan's nearly 10 million residents, about 1.9 million - or one in every five residents - have a disability, cutting across race, gender, religion and ethnicity; and,

Whereas, State employees share a vision of Michigan, where the work of all public servants is to build a state in which jobs are plentiful and every family has the opportunity to succeed; and,  

Whereas, The most economical and inclusive approach to achieve this vision is for our state to have people with disabilities empowered to be active participants in the workforce; and,

Whereas, People with disabilities face significant obstacles to employment or re-employment as a result of misunderstandings, stereotypes and ignorance; and,

Whereas, The best way to remove these obstacles is to promote awareness of the contributions, strengths and incredible abilities of Michigan employees with disabilities; and,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim September 19, 2007, as Employees with Disabilities Awareness Day.  I encourage citizens to reflect on the contributions made by employees with disabilities and to support the efforts of people with disabilities who seek to become or remain active members of the workforce.