Remarks to the Conference of the President's Committee on National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week

I have just signed a proclamation here which is authorized by an act of Congress, entitled National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week for 1949, and it starts on the 2d day of October.

It is a request to all Governors, and State officials, and the officials of the National Government, and all organizations, fraternal organizations, labor unions, and everybody who is interested in the welfare of this physically handicapped program, to start off on the 2d of October for another year of effort. The past one has been a very successful one, so I understand. I am particularly interested in this program, and am anxious to see it a continuing success.

I am working at it from both ends. I am doing everything I possibly can to restore the physically handicapped to the point where they can be self-supporting, and I am doing everything I possibly can to prevent physical handicaps from happening.

I have had meetings in session after session with Governors, and organizations, with the idea of preventing the unnecessary crippling of people. There are millions of people who have been injured unnecessarily, through plain carelessness on their own part, or on the part of some other source.

That, I think, is just as important as the rehabilitation, because if we are successful in the first, we won't have so much to do in the second--although there are unavoidable accidents which sometimes happen in spite of all you can do.

As a result of those accidents, and as a result of war, we must continue to work to the very best of our ability to see that these people are given a better outlook on life, because when a person feels that he is a part of society, and that he is necessary for the welfare of that society, he makes a better citizen, and he makes himself a happier life.

Thank you very much.