Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Governor Abbott Proclaims June 26 - July 2, 2022 Helen Keller DeafBlind Awareness Week In Texas

Governor Greg Abbott has proclaimed June 26 - July 2, 2022 as Helen Keller DeafBlind Awareness Week in the Lone Star State.  This week, Texans are reminded to commemorate the life of Helen Keller, acknolwledge the many contributions of Texans with disabilities, and learn how to best offer support to DeafBlind Texans.

"The life of Helen Keller, history's most famous person with both hearing and vision loss, helps all Americans understand that people who are DeafBlind are incredibly resilient and can achieve greatness despite the challenges they face," reads the proclamation. "Her inspiring life and incredible personal gifts had an enormous impact in bringing awareness to the DeafBlind community. Combined vision and hearing loss poses large barriers to communication, but Texans in the DeafBlind community exemplify the indomitable spirit and can-do attitude of the Lone Star State by pursuing excellence with the same unyielding and determined spirit as Helen Keller did through her life."

Texas has made significant progress ensuring individuals who are DeafBlind have the tools they need to realize their potential and fully participate in our communities through education, employment, housing, recreation, technology, and more.

Read the full inspiring and insightful Helen Keller DeafBlind Awareness Week Proclamation issued by Governor Abbott here.

Helen Keller DeafBlind Awareness Week

Reflecting on Excerpts from "To love this life" by Helen Keller

The Senses - "I have experienced marvelously the qualities of the spirit in the hand during my dark, silent life. For it is my hand that binds me to humanity."

Friendship and Love - "Cultivate love for love is the light that gives the eye to see great and noble things."

Life and Living - "There is just one way to make sure of immortality, and that is to love this life and live it as richly and helpfully as we can. What really counts in life is the quiet meeting of every difficulty with the determination to get out of it all the good there is."

Education - "Education should train the child to use his brains, to make for himself a place in the world and maintain his rights even when it seems that society would shove him into the scrapheap."

Changing the World - "I do not like the world as it is, so I am trying to make it a little more as I want it."

Triumph over Adversity - "The human being is born with an incredible capacity for making the best of things."

The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities provides GovDelivery updates for informational purposes on a variety of disability related issues for a diverse audience. Updates may include information provided by external sources. The inclusion of this external information does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the Committee or the Office of the Governor of any information, policy, product, or service offered by an external source.

If you would like to be removed from the Governor’s Committee e-mail distribution list, click the "Unsubscribe All" link below or click the "Manage Subscriptions" link below to update your account preferences.