Proclamation 5723 --
National Down Syndrome Month, 1987
By
the President of the
A
Proclamation
National
Down Syndrome Month affords all Americans an opportunity to take note of the
progress science has made over the past two decades in understanding developmental
disabilities, especially Down Syndrome. An accumulation of new research, a body
of knowledge represented by thousands of published scientific papers, has meant
fresh help for mentally handicapped people and the establishment of a strong
information base for future efforts. One of the most important benefits of this
research is that people everywhere are becoming increasingly sensitive to the
achievements, needs, and potential of the mentally handicapped.
Our
society is stronger and healthier because a new situation now prevails for
those in our midst who are developmentally disabled. Today, people with Down Syndrome often take part in special education classes within
mainstreamed programs in schools, vocational training, and living arrangements
that promote as much independence as possible. In addition, parents of babies
with Down Syndrome are receiving the education and
support they need to understand this condition and to plan for the future of
their children with new confidence and hope.
These
strides have been possible thanks to the tireless work of concerned
researchers, parents' groups, physicians, teachers, and service providers.
Private organizations such as the National Down Syndrome Congress and the
National Down Syndrome Society have worked in concert with the Public Health
Service, the President's Committee on Mental Retardation, and other government
agencies to increase public awareness of this condition and of the capabilities
of those with Down Syndrome.
These
developments are brightening the outlook for people born with Down Syndrome. That outlook will continue to brighten the more we
acknowledge that all of us share the same God-given rights, dignity, and worth,
and the more we realize that the sanctity of every human life is both a matter
of principle and a call to action. As the late Terence Cardinal Cooke of
The
gift of life, God's special gift, is no less beautiful when it is accompanied
by illness or weakness, hunger or poverty, mental or physical handicaps,
loneliness or old age. Indeed, at these times, human life gains extra splendor
as it requires our special care, concern, and reverence. It is in and through
the weakest of human vessels that the Lord continues to reveal the power of His
love.
The
Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 84, has designated the month of October
1987 as ``National Down Syndrome Month'' and authorized and requested the
President to issue a proclamation in observance of this month.
Now,
Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the
In
Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the
Ronald
Reagan
[Filed with the Office
of the Federal Register,