N E W F REEDOM

I NITIATIVE

M A Y 2002

N E W F REEDOM

I NITIATIVE

A Progress Report
Table of Contents

 Page

Executive Summary 1

Background 4

Chapter 1. Increasing Access Through Technology 6

Chapter 2. Expanding Educational Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities 8

Chapter 3. Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the Workforce 10

Chapter 4. Promoting Full Access to Community Life 14
1

Executive Summary

A Progress Report on Fulfilling America’s Promise to 

Americans with Disabilities

Introduction 

Many of the 54 million Americans with disabilities are deprived of their independence due to

needless barriers. On February 1, 2001, President Bush announced his New Freedom Initiative to

promote the full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of society by increasing

access to assistive and universally designed technologies, expanding educational and

employment opportunities, and promoting full access to community life. This report details the

progress the Administration has made to implement the New Freedom Initiative goal – to ensure

full integration of people with disabilities in American society. 

Increasing Access Through Technology

The President promised full implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which

requires that all Federal government electronic and information technologies be accessible to

individuals with disabilities. In response, the Administration: 

 Expedited Section 508 implementation; and

 Produced extensive technical guidance and training materials that will be helpful not only

to Federal agencies in complying with Section 508, but also to others interested in

accessible technologies, such as private businesses, state and local governments,

manufacturers and vendors, and individuals with disabilities.

The President secured $65 million for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 for the Department of Education to: 

 Jumpstart research in the area of assistive and universally designed technologies at

centers that conduct advanced research in the field; and

 Support the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in its work to

coordinate Federal disability research programs, to assist small businesses in the

development and transfer of new technologies, and to award matching grants to states to

help persons with disabilities purchase assistive technologies through low interest loans

and other means.

Expanding Educational Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities

The President is determined to ensure that children with disabilities receive appropriate

educational opportunities and that youth receive support to transition from school to

employment. To achieve these objectives, the President:
2

 Requested the largest increases of any President in history for the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B State Grants program in his FY 2002 and FY

2003 budgets;

 Signed legislation increasing funding for the IDEA Part B State Grants program by $1.2

billion in FY 2002;

 Established a comprehensive reading program for students, including those with

disabilities, as well as programs to ensure that children with the most severe reading

disabilities learn to read; and

 Created a Presidential Commission on Excellence in Special Education.

Integrating Americans with Disabilities Into the Workforce

To break down barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities, the President has:

 Promoted swift implementation of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement

Act, which provides incentives to work for more than 7.5 million Americans receiving

benefits under Federal disability programs; 

 Obtained $20 million for matching grants to states to help people with disabilities buy

equipment necessary for telecommuting to work;

 Supported measures that would provide tax incentives for company purchases of

equipment that allow an employee to work from home;

 Continued his commitment to vigorous enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA); and

 Requested an increase of $165 million in funding and performance-based incentive grants

for the Vocational Rehabilitation Program in the FY 2003 budget.

Promoting Full Access to Community Life

To increase homeownership rates for people with disabilities, the President supported a 

program that permits people with disabilities to use Section 8 rent subsidy vouchers to make

mortgage payments to buy their own homes. To increase the availability of accessible and

affordable housing for individuals with disabilities, the Administration has:

 Recently awarded a major national education and outreach grant to help communities

ensure that more apartments and condominiums are built to be accessible to people with

disabilities; and

 Launched a program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to

provide training and technical assistance to the building industry on the Fair Housing

Act’s accessible design and construction requirements.

To facilitate community living for people with disabilities, the President issued an Executive

Order directing key Federal agencies to evaluate and recommend ways to expand communitybased services for qualified individuals with disabilities. In response, the Administration has:

 Conducted the first comprehensive Federal review of barriers that prevent people with

disabilities from living in the community and identified over 400 potential solutions to
3

remove impediments to community-based living; and

 Announced a series of grants totaling $119 million that the Department of Health and

Human Services will award to states for the design and implementation of reforms to

promote community living.

Recognizing that quality mental health services are critical to increasing community participation

for people with psychiatric disabilities, the President announced the formation of his New

Freedom Commission on Mental Health. The Commission will study and make

recommendations for improving America’s mental health service delivery system.

The President’s FY 2003 budget contains many increases in disability programs that promote

community living, housing, transportation, education, and employment. The Administration will

work with Congress to see that the budget proposals are enacted.
4

Background

On February 1, 2001, within two weeks of taking office, President Bush announced his New

Freedom Initiative and laid out a bold plan to tear down the stubborn barriers to equality that

confront many of the 54 million Americans with disabilities. He did so with the knowledge that:

 Students with disabilities graduate at far lower rates than other students. Early access to

support services and an accessible and appropriate education can give America’s more

than 6 million students with disabilities an equal chance to succeed and a path to greater

independence.

 Employment remains one of the greatest barriers for people with disabilities. Of the 7.5

million people with disabilities on the Social Security rolls, fewer than 1 percent ever

leave those rolls to return to work. People with disabilities deserve the chance to engage

in meaningful work and to contribute to America’s economy.

 Inaccessible transportation continues to inhibit the ability of people with disabilities to

take advantage of job training, employment, and recreational opportunities. The

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) reports that more than 100

million low-income, older Americans and people with disabilities are at risk of being

unable to provide or afford their own transportation. They are also more likely to be

dependent upon others for their mobility. CTAA also notes that almost 40 percent of

rural counties throughout the U.S. have no public transportation. 

 Safe, stable, and accessible housing is necessary before people with disabilities can enjoy

neighborhood activities or explore job options. However, according to a 2001 report

issued by the Technical Assistance Collaborative and the Consortium for Citizens with

Disabilities Task Force, over 3 million non-elderly people with disabilities who receive

Supplemental Security Income cannot afford decent housing in the U.S. without

government housing assistance. 

 Under Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999), the Supreme Court required states to place

qualified individuals with mental disabilities in community settings, rather than in

institutions, whenever treatment professionals determine that such placement is

appropriate, the affected persons do not oppose such placement, and the state can

reasonably accommodate the placement, taking into account the resources available to the

state and the needs of others with disabilities. However, far too many people with

disabilities who would exercise the choice to live in the community are forced to remain

in institutions because of a lack of community-based services available in their states and

hometowns.

The New Freedom Initiative is a commitment to address these barriers and others through

programs and proposals that increase development of and access to assistive and universally

designed technologies, expand educational opportunities, further integrate Americans with

disabilities into the workforce, and help remove barriers to full participation in community life. 
5

In the past 15 months, the Administration has taken many steps toward fulfillment of New

Freedom Initiative goals. The President secured funding for many of the New Freedom

Initiative’s important programs in the FY 2002 budget process.

Among the highlights is the President’s Executive Order 13217, Community-based Alternatives

for Individuals with Disabilities, directing his agencies to swiftly implement the Supreme

Court’s Olmstead decision. The Executive Order charged six agencies - the Departments of

Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development,

and the Social Security Administration - with evaluating their agency policies and programs to

determine whether any should be revised to improve the availability of community-based

services for qualified individuals with disabilities.

In December 2001, these agencies, joined by the Departments of Transportation and Veterans

Affairs and the Office of Personnel Management, presented a preliminary report, “Delivering on

the Promise.” The agencies released the complete reports in March 2002, outlining over 400

solutions in areas such as housing, education, personal attendant services, employment, health

care structure and financing, caregiver support, and technology to make community living

possible.

Following the February 2001 New Freedom Initiative announcement, numerous Cabinet

members and agency heads embraced the New Freedom Initiative mission, introducing

additional activities that helped to advance the objectives of the Initiative. For example,

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced a series of

grants to promote community living. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao established a

Youth Advisory Committee to improve employment for youth with disabilities. Department of

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and Project Action hosted a dialogue with transit

industry executives and disability leaders to increase accessible transportation. Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Cari Dominguez created a series of workshops to

assist small businesses in recruiting and hiring people with disabilities. When the President

voiced his strong support of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires that

electronic and information technology purchased by the government be usable by people with

disabilities, many agencies quickly formalized plans to institute the standards and expedite

implementation.

More work remains to be done. Breaking down persistent barriers in employment, transportation,

housing, and community access requires sustained, aggressive, coordinated measures – nothing

short of, in the President’s words, a “revolution of independence.” With the commitment and

resources of the Cabinet, and through new agency and private sector partnerships, the President

will continue the campaign to advance the full and equal participation of people with disabilities.

The President proposed increases in the FY 2002 budget totaling $1.38 billion to fund New

Freedom Initiative programs. Congress often supported the President’s priorities by funding his

initiatives. For FY 2003, the President has proposed increases of $1.39 billion for New Freedom

Initiative funding. The Administration will continue to work with Congress to see that the New

Freedom Initiative commitments are implemented and that its proposals are realized.
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The President’s New Freedom Initiative Goals, Accomplishments,

and Next Steps

Chapter 1. Increasing Access Through Technology

New technologies are opening opportunities for work, community living, and independence for

those with even the most severe disabilities. The New Freedom Initiative commitments will help

jumpstart research in assistive and universally designed technologies and will help ensure that

Americans with disabilities have access to those technologies. 

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 became effective in June 2001. It requires that all

electronic and information technology purchased by the Federal government be usable by people

with disabilities. This requirement will lead to improved services for customers with disabilities

and a more inclusive, better equipped workplace for Federal employees with disabilities.

Accessible electronic and information technology will transform the Federal government into a

model workplace full of diverse problem solvers improving America’s ability to compete in the

global economy.

Federal Investment in Assistive Technology Research and Development and Access to

Assistive Technology

Accomplishments

 On June 19, 2001, while touring an assistive technology lab at the Department of

Defense, the President announced his strong support of the implementation of Section

508 of the Rehabilitation Act. He recognized the potential of Section 508 to improve

disability services and public service employment for people with disabilities, calling it

“one example of the successful public-private partnerships that are removing barriers to

full community participation by Americans with disabilities.” 

 In FY 2002 the President secured $20 million for the Department of Education

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers, which conduct advanced research in the

field of assistive technology.

 The President secured $5 million in the FY 2002 budget for the Assistive Technology

Development Fund to assist small businesses in the development and transfer of new

technologies. 

 The President secured $37 million of the $40 million he requested in the FY 2002 budget

for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to award

matching grants to states to help people with disabilities purchase assistive technology

through low interest loans and other means.

 The President secured $3 million in the FY 2002 budget, substantially increasing the

funding for the NIDRR Interagency Committee on Disability Research to coordinate the

many Federal disability research programs.

Other Administration Technology Accomplishments

 To facilitate a common understanding of the Section 508 requirements, the interagency

Section 508 Steering Committee and Working Group were formed in Spring 2001. The
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Steering Committee, led by the Department of Education, and the Working Group, led by

the Office of Management and Budget, work closely with those agencies responsible for

Section 508 -- the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access

Board), the Department of Justice, and the General Services Administration (GSA) -- to

coordinate technical guidance and training. GSA’s Web site at www.section508.gov

includes technical assistance documents and free 508 training modules for various

audiences. The Steering Committee continually updates the 508 site to address questions

and needs gathered from meetings of industry, consumer groups, and government staff to

discuss implementation issues and the market response to the new standards. 

 The Department of Justice has developed a Web page at

www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/508home.html that provides technical assistance regarding

accessible technology pursuant to Section 508. Although Section 508 requires only

Federal agencies to ensure that their electronic and information technologies are

accessible to persons with disabilities, the Web site provides information that will be

useful to private businesses, state and local governments, manufacturers of equipment

and software, vendors, and individuals with disabilities regarding accessible technologies.

In addition, the Department of Justice and the Access Board have provided technical

assistance materials for Web and software developers at the Access Board’s Web site,

www.access-board.gov, and have helped develop the government-wide Web developer

training material on the Section 508 homepage.
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Chapter 2. Expanding Educational Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities

A solid education is critical to ensuring that children with disabilities have an equal chance to

succeed. Through the New Freedom Initiative, the President is determined to expand access to

quality education for youth with disabilities and to work to improve the high school graduation

rates of students with disabilities. 

Increasing Funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and

Improving Reading in Early Grades

Accomplishments

 President Bush requested the largest increases of any President in history for the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B State Grants program in his

FY 2002 and FY 2003 budgets;

 The President signed legislation increasing by $1.2 billion the FY 2002 budget for the

IDEA Part B State Grants program to raise the Federal contribution of the cost of

providing children with disabilities a free and appropriate public education. Overall, the

Department of Education received more than $7.5 billion for IDEA Part B to help states

and localities provide special education and related services to America’s students with

disabilities.

 The President’s Reading First and Early Reading First Initiatives, established in the No

Child Left Behind Act, create a comprehensive reading program for students, including

those with disabilities, from preschool through third grade. While these initiatives will

benefit many students identified as disabled, there will be students who do not respond to

these interventions and who need more intensive instruction. The Department of

Education’s Office of Special Education Programs is supporting four reading projects

that seek to identify the critical components necessary to ensure that children with the

most severe reading disabilities who do not respond to effective classroom interventions

learn to read.

 The President issued Executive Order 13227 in October 2001 creating the Presidential

Commission on Excellence in Special Education and charging the Commission with

developing recommendations for improving services for students with special education

needs. The Commission will release its report in July 2002.

Other Accomplishments that Expand Education and Support Youth with Disabilities

 Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao created and convened the Department of Labor’s 15-

member Youth Advisory Committee in March 2002. The Committee is developing policy

recommendations to present to the Secretary on issues regarding the education and

employment of young people with disabilities.

 The Department of Health and Human Services has created a 10-year national action plan

for children and youth with special health care needs that includes a focus on

transitioning youth to all aspects of adulthood.

 The Department of Health and Human Services Family and Youth Services Bureau will

host the National Youth Summit in June 2002. The conference will include a variety of

presentations and workshops that will benefit youth with disabilities. 
9

Next Steps

 The President requested in the FY 2003 budget an additional increase of $1 billion for the

IDEA Part B State Grants program, for a total of $8.5 billion. 

 The President requested an increase of $20 million in the FY 2003 budget for the IDEA

Part C Grants for Infants and Families program that provides crucial early intervention

services for infants to toddlers, ages birth through 2 years old. 
10

Chapter 3. Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the Workforce

Employment is a key to independence, empowerment, and improved quality of life. To help

increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, the Administration supports

a strategy that includes simultaneous improvements in training, creative job accommodations

such as teleworking, accessible transportation, and employer education.

Expanding Telecommuting

Telecommuting is increasing in the private and public sectors. The International Telework

Association & Council 2001 Annual Survey found that there were 28.8 million teleworkers, an

increase of almost 17 percent over the previous year. The Office of Personnel Management

found a 39.5 percent increase in the number of reported Federal teleworkers over seven months,

based on a 2001 evaluation. For individuals with disabilities, teleworking can expand the

universe of potential and accessible employment. New Freedom Initiative proposals will

encourage more employers to provide computer equipment and Internet access for teleworking

and to provide support so that employees with disabilities have greater options to benefit from

teleworking’s flexibility. 

Accomplishments

 The President secured $20 million in the FY 2002 budget in matching telework grants to

states to help people with disabilities purchase equipment to work from home. The

Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration will administer the

fund. 

Next Steps

 The President’s FY 2003 budget includes a proposal to allow individuals with disabilities

to exclude from taxable income the value of computers, software, and other equipment

provided by the individual’s employer for telecommuting purposes. 

Swift Implementation of “Ticket to Work”

The landmark Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) provides

incentives to work for the more than 7.5 million Americans with disabilities receiving benefits

under Federal disability programs. Prior to the “Ticket to Work” law, recipients of disability

income and health benefits could not engage in any substantial work without losing their

benefits, a consequence that contributed to a dismal employment rate for people with disabilities.

As part of the New Freedom Initiative, the President is committed to ensuring the Act’s swift

implementation and to breaking the pattern of dependence. 

Accomplishments and Next Steps

 The President pressed for swift implementation of the TWWIIA. The Social Security

Administration issued the TWWIIA regulations, which went into effect for the first 13

states in the planned rollout on January 28, 2002. The rollout will be completed for all 50

states by the end of 2003.
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Full Enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

President Bush believes that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been an invaluable

tool in the movement toward full integration of individuals with disabilities, but recognizes that

there is still much more to be done. The President is committed to further integrating individuals

with disabilities into the workforce by encouraging ADA Title I-exempt businesses, which are

those with fewer than 15 employees, to comply with the ADA. ADA-exempt businesses that

make voluntary accommodations reap bottom-line benefits by reaching new customers and

talented employees who would otherwise be excluded. 

Status

 To promote employment in the small business sector, the President requested but did not

receive $5 million in the FY 2002 budget for the Small Business Administration to help

small businesses comply with the ADA.

Administration Accomplishments

 The Department of Justice began the ADA Business Connection in January 2002. The

ADA Business Connection is an intensive outreach and technical assistance initiative

aimed at assisting small businesses in complying with the ADA and integrating

individuals with disabilities into the workforce. Assistant Attorney General for Civil

Rights Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., held a series of meetings with representatives of the business

and disability communities; the first involved 55 leaders of business groups and disability

organizations. As part of this project, the Department has developed a new ADA

Business Connection destination on its ADA Web site and a series of “ADA Business

Briefs,” which are one-page explanations of issues related to business, employment, and

contracting.

 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has embarked upon a series of

workshops to educate small businesses on the employment of individuals with

disabilities. The Commission will partner with chambers of commerce, associations, and

development centers outside of major metropolitan areas. The Commission is expanding

upon its traditional enforcement role regarding Federal anti-discrimination statutes to

offer innovative education and technical assistance strategies to the employer community.

Partnering with the Department of Justice, the Commission will offer small businesses

insights into the ADA relating to Title III, which covers public accommodations and

commercial facilities.

 To promote voluntary compliance with the ADA, the Department of Justice initiated

Project Civic Access. Rather than focusing on individual entities within a community,

Project Civic Access is a national effort to ensure that all aspects of towns and cities are

fully accessible to people with disabilities. In the Bush Administration, as of March 2002,

the Department has reached 21 agreements with cities and towns across the country. 

 The Department of Justice continues to pursue full enforcement of the ADA. During the

past year, for example, the Department has defended the constitutionality of the ADA in

Federal courts; has achieved accessibility in local communities across the country, from

Kauai, Hawaii, to San Antonio, Texas, to New Orleans, Louisiana; has brought about the

full accessibility of newly constructed facilities; and has ensured that deaf persons receive
12

effective communication, including sign language interpreters, in hospitals across the

Nation. 

Innovative Transportation Solutions

Inadequate transportation inhibits employment for all people, but is an even greater barrier to

people with disabilities. New Freedom Initiative policies seek to test new transportation ideas

and develop partnerships to increase access to alternate means of transportation, such as vans

with specialty lifts, modified automobiles, and ride-share programs for those who cannot get to

buses or other forms of mass transit. 

Direct infusion of funding into transportation programs will benefit local economies. Cambridge

Systematics, Inc., reports in “Public Transportation and the Nation's Economy” that businesses

and local communities have benefited from transit operations spending, with a $32 million

increase in business sales and an additional 570 jobs for each $10 million in public transportation

investments.

Status

 The President requested but did not receive $45 million in the FY 2002 budget for the

Department of Transportation pilot transportation programs.

 The President requested but did not receive $100 million in the FY 2002 budget for the

Department of Transportation for a matching grant program for community-based

transportation alternatives. 

Administration Transportation Accomplishments

 The Department of Transportation, through its Job Access and Reverse Commute

Program, has funded over 200 state and local grantees in 44 states to provide new

employment transportation services for low-income persons, including persons with

disabilities. This competitive grants program funds additional transportation services to

jobs and job training sites and addresses unmet needs of persons with disabilities.

 The Department of Transportation created an interagency working group to coordinate

the numerous Federal programs that fund transportation for persons with disabilities. The

working group is producing a resource guide identifying Federal programs that fund

transportation for persons with disabilities and is developing examples of best practice

transportation services in getting persons with disabilities to work and employment

support services that local officials can use in city planning.

 In March 2002, the Federal Transit Administration and Project Action held a National

Dialogue on Accessible Transportation to foster communication between the transit

industry and the disability community in identifying accessibility issues and creative,

effective solutions. A subsequent meeting in June 2002 and recommendations report are

planned.

Next Steps 

 The President will seek authorization to establish the Department of Transportation’s

New Freedom Initiative program and requests $145 million in FY 2003 for a competitive

grants program to provide additional transportation services for job access and a pilot
13

program to demonstrate innovative solutions for transportation problems still faced by

persons with disabilities. 

 The President’s FY 2003 budget expands the funding for the Job Access and Reverse

Commute program to the full authorization level of $150 million, an increase of $50

million since the President took office. This program includes job-related transportation

services for people with disabilities.

Providing Employment Training and Supports

General Employment Accomplishments

 The President’s FY 2002 budget proposed almost doubling the funding for the

Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy to $43 million. Congress

provided $38 million, a 66 percent increase above FY 2001. The Office focuses on

eliminating barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities. 

 Several Federal agencies have implemented additional projects that further the New

Freedom Initiative goal of increasing employment. These include grants from the Centers

for Medicare and Medicaid Services to states that want to develop health care coverage

for workers with disabilities. In addition, the Department of Labor received $20 million

in FY 2002 for Work Incentive Grants to provide competitive grants to increase access to

employment and training services for individuals with disabilities through one-stop career

centers.

General Employment Next Steps

 To improve employment outcomes through the Department of Education’s Vocational

Rehabilitation program, the President has requested an increase of $135 million in the FY

2003 budget. In addition, the President has requested $30 million in incentive grants to

states to reward vocational rehabilitation agencies based on their performance.

 The President’s FY 2003 budget includes a 24 percent, or $9 million, increase in funding

for the Office of Disability Employment Policy in the Department of Labor.

 The President has requested an increase of $3 million, for a total of $9 million, in FY

2003 for the Youth Training and Services program in the Department of Labor. This

program helps integrate youth with significant disabilities into mainstream workforce

programs and technology-related careers. 
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Chapter 4. Promoting Full Access to Community Life

Promoting Homeownership for People with Disabilities

For many, homeownership is the cornerstone of the “American Dream.” The New Freedom

Initiative promotes independence and access to the “American Dream” through homeownership.

Accomplishments

 The President promised to revise the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s

Section 8 rent subsidy program to permit people with disabilities to use vouchers to make

mortgage payments to purchase their own homes. The Department has implemented this

pilot program.

Expanding Rental Housing Choices

While homeownership is important, there is also a dire need for accessible, quality, tenant-based

housing for people with disabilities. The Administration is working to expand rental choices for

people with disabilities and to increase enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. 

Administration Accomplishments

 Under its Fair Housing Initiatives Program, the Department of Housing and Urban

Development recently awarded a major national education and outreach grant to help

communities ensure that more apartments and condominiums are built to be accessible to

people with disabilities. 

 The Department of Housing and Urban Development recently launched a major technical

assistance program to help the building industry understand and comply with the Fair

Housing Act’s accessible design and construction requirements. This initiative, the

Program for Accessibility Training and Technical Guidance, will provide assistance on a

national scale.

 The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2002 Super Notice of Funds

Availability (SuperNOFA) encourages grant applicants to add accessibility design

features beyond those required by civil rights laws and regulations. Such features

eliminate barriers limiting the access of persons with disabilities to housing and other

facilities and encourage visitability.

 

Next Steps 

 The President requested $40 million in the FY 2003 budget for the Department of

Housing and Urban Development to fund approximately 6,000 Section 8 tenant-based

rental vouchers for non-elderly disabled families. 

 The President requested $250 million, a $10 million increase, in the FY 2003 budget for

the Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 811 program that provides

funding for construction and ongoing rental housing assistance for people with

disabilities.
15

Swift Implementation of the Olmstead Decision

The President is committed to the enforcement of Title II of the ADA and to providing people

with disabilities the choice to live in the community among friends and family. 

Accomplishments

 The President issued Executive Order 13217 in June 2001 to ensure swift implementation

of the Supreme Court Olmstead decision to expand community-based services and

community living choices for people with disabilities. The Executive Order refers to

Americans with all disabilities.

Administration Community Living Accomplishments

 On December 21, 2001, nine agencies submitted to the President the first report of

agency efforts to meet the Olmstead Executive Order directive, entitled “Delivering on

the Promise: Preliminary Report of Federal Agencies’ Actions to Eliminate Barriers and

Promote Community Integration.” The report sets forth a summary of the actions that

Federal agencies propose to take in several key areas such as health care structure and

financing, employment, housing, education, and personal assistance services. The full

detail of the promised actions was released in nine individual agency reports in March

2002.

 In its report to the President, the Department of Justice identified 38 action items to

swiftly implement the Olmstead decision. Consistent with the President’s Executive

Order mandate to issue technical assistance and participate in alternative dispute

resolution, the Department will give priority to the following initiatives:

1. The Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services will create a pilot

project to refer appropriate Olmstead-related complaints received by the

Department of Health and Human Services to an ADA mediation program

established by the Justice Department. The mediation program has more than 450

professional mediators trained in the ADA and available nationwide. 

2. The Department of Justice is developing three technical assistance pieces on the

implementation of the Olmstead decision. The first piece, which will be

developed jointly with the Department of Health and Human Services, will

provide guidance to states as they create comprehensive plans for community

placement of persons with disabilities. The Department of Justice is also

developing two “Know Your Rights” pieces, one for people currently residing

within institutions and the other for persons at risk of institutionalization.

 Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has announced

a series of grants totaling $119 million to be awarded to states for design and

implementation of enduring systemic reforms to promote community living. The

“Systems Change Grants for Community Living” will help states and territories enable

people with disabilities to reside in their homes and participate fully in community life.

 In June 2001, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a pilot

program in 11 states called Project Access, which will facilitate the successful transition

of non-elderly persons with disabilities from institutional settings to community living. 
16

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute on Disability and

Rehabilitation Research will hold a Conference on Health and Disability in September

2002. The conference will focus on health and wellness for people with disabilities with

the goal of improving quality of life, addressing long-term health care, and supporting

inclusion in community living. Participants will include a diverse group of people with

disabilities, service providers, employers, and state government officials.

Next Steps

 The President is dedicated to the implementation of the commitments in the “Delivering

on the Promise” reports, which respond to the Executive Order to end the persistent

impediments to community living. 

 The President has requested $14 million in his FY 2003 budget for four Department of

Health and Human Services demonstration projects to support community-based

alternatives for and independent living by people with disabilities. These projects were

announced in the “Delivering on the Promise” report and represent a commitment of

$216 million in funding over the next five years and $750 million over 10 years:

1. The Department of Health and Human Services will create a 10-year home and

community-based services demonstration as an alternative to Medicaid-funded

psychiatric residential treatment centers for children. The proposed demonstration

will allow states to provide children with emotional disturbances an array of

services similar to those provided under home and community-based waivers in

order to keep homes intact and avoid costly out-of-home placements in

institutions. 

2. The Department of Health and Human Services will initiate a national

demonstration designed to address workforce shortages of community service

direct care workers. Specifically, the demonstration will test the extent to which

workforce shortages and instabilities might be addressed through: (a) better

coordination with the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program, and (b)

the availability of vouchers for worker health insurance coverage and/or for

tuition and day care credits. Participating states will be expected to develop

options for workers to purchase affordable health insurance coverage through the

state health insurance system or similar organized insurance groups.

3. The Department of Health and Human Services will conduct a national

demonstration to allow states to provide respite care services for caregivers of

adults with disabilities. Respite care, which is temporary care that offers support

for family members, is critical to addressing the unrelieved caregiver burden in

this country. This burden is a major contributing factor to institutionalization of

individuals with disabilities. Under the demonstration, states will have more

flexibility under the Medicaid program to offer respite services to certain unpaid

providers. In return, states will have to maintain current financial commitments

for caregiver support. 

4. The Department of Health and Human Services will implement and evaluate a 10-

year demonstration providing respite care for caregivers of children who have

substantial disabilities. This project will help caregivers cope with the challenges

of caring for children with disabilities by allowing them more flexible respite

services and other tailored services designed to meet their needs and keep their
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homes intact. 

 The President’s FY 2003 budget contains increases in several programs that are equally

critical in promoting community integration. For example: 

1. The President requested $6 million for the Department of Housing and Urban

Development to fund 1,000 Section 8 rental subsidy vouchers for people with

disabilities who are transitioning from institutions into the community.

2. The President requested $15 million in funding for the Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration for grants to states and communities to

develop, implement, and assess integrated services for individuals with cooccurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Some of these individuals

are reentering society from confinement in the criminal justice system.

3. Recognizing the important role of the Centers for Independent Living in helping

people move into the community and locate services, the President requested an

increase of $7 million, or 11 percent, for the Centers. The community-based

Centers are run by and for people with disabilities and provide services such as

outreach, advocacy, and personal assistance services referral. 

4. The President requested $11 million, an increase of $5 million, for the

Department of Labor’s Olmstead Community Employment Initiative. The

Initiative will develop and implement a coordinated strategy to meet the

employment and training needs of people with disabilities who are at risk of

institutionalization and who are transitioning from institutions into the workplace

and the community.

The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health

Currently, numerous Federal, state, and local government agencies oversee mental health

policies, funding, programs, and a diverse network of public and private providers. These

entities are doing valuable and necessary work. However, better coordination can result in more

efficient and effective mental health services and can enhance the quality of life for people with

psychiatric disabilities.

Accomplishments

 The President announced the formation of the New Freedom Commission on Mental

Health to conduct a comprehensive study of the Nation’s mental health service delivery

system. It will identify barriers to care within the system and identify examples of

community-based care models that have proven to be successful in coordinating and

providing treatment services. The Commission will have one year to submit a final

report to the President recommending immediate improvements that can be implemented

by Federal, state, and local governments, as well as by public and private providers. The

Commission will be composed of 15 members, appointed by the President, and seven exofficio members from relevant Federal agencies.
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Improving Access

The heart and spirit of the community can be found in local civic and faith-based organizations.

Contributing to the community’s well-being depends on involvement in community

organizations and in the political process. The President is committed to increasing access to

local organizations and participation in the political process.

Status

 The President’s FY 2002 budget requested but was not provided $20 million for the

Department of Housing and Urban Development to improve access to ADA-exempt

organizations such as private clubs and civic and religious organizations. 

 President Bush supports improved access to polling places and ballot secrecy and is

committed to working with Congress to address the barriers to voting for Americans with

disabilities.