WHEREAS, through his work with the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, the National Federation of the Blind, the Colorado Center for the Blind, and the American Bar Association, Scott LaBarre was recognized as a staunch advocate, a defender of equal rights for the blind and people with disabilities, and a leader in the disability rights movement in Colorado, the nation, and around the world; and
WHEREAS, Scott LaBarre, himself blind, was an accomplished attorney who devoted his legal career to defending the rights of the blind and people with other disabilities; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his legal practice, Scott LaBarre served as a leader in the legal community: working on committees and the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association, serving as president of the National Association of Blind Lawyers, and playing an influential role in numerous meetings of the renowned Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium; and
WHEREAS, Scott LaBarre engaged in national and international efforts which culminated in the development and promulgation of the Marrakesh Treaty, an international agreement for books for the blind and print-disabled to be shared between countries around the world, including the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, Scott LaBarre was a key player in the passage of numerous pieces of legislation in Colorado to further equal rights for the blind and other people with disabilities, not the least of which was HB18-1104, a bill to end discrimination against parents with disabilities by Colorado county departments of human services; and
WHEREAS, in addition to all of the other work he performed on behalf of the blind and others with disabilities, Scott LaBarre provided mentoring to hundreds of Coloradans who are blind or have other disabilities and many others around the country; and
WHEREAS, Scott LaBarre’s untimely passing on December 10, 2022, is a loss to everyone in Colorado, the United States of America, and beyond;
THEREFORE, I, Jared Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, do hereby proclaim January 21, 2023 as Scott LaBarre Day in the State of Colorado
GIVEN under my hand and the Executive Seal of the State of Colorado, this twenty-first day of January, 2023.