New Freedom Initiative -- Preliminary Report: Gathering, Assessment and Use of Data

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Initiative ~ Executive Order ~ HHS Role ~ News & Additional Resources

Delivering on the Promise: Preliminary Report

Federal Agency Actions to Eliminate Barriers and Promote Community Integration

Gathering, Assessment and Use of Data

The successful integration of people with disabilities into community settings requires consistent data collection to measure the progress of existing programs and initiatives and to determine the specific needs of people with disabilities. With statistical data about various aspects of disability, federal agencies, the disability community, and other stakeholders can formulate public policy and programs that support, encourage, and maintain the transition of individuals with disabilities from institutional settings to the community. The following actions are planned in order to acquire, assess and use data about people with disabilities.

Department of Education

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will assess the feasibility of revising the reporting requirements of Centers for Independent Living (CIL) programs so that the programs would collect data on housing and related needs.
ED's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) will survey Centers for Independent Living to ascertain what they have done to expand accessible transportation and disseminate information on promising practices.

Department of Health and Human Services

HHS' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will work with states, universities, foundations and others to ensure that there is an adequate base of applied research and knowledge to inform public policy-making with regard to: (a) the impact of the Medicaid and Medicare actions under the President's Executive Order; (b) state initiatives to improve community living services; (c) methods for designing long-term care systems so that they promote the ADA and are capable to address the population growth expected due to demographic changes; and (d) methods for designing quality assurance and improvement systems uniquely suited for services in one's own home.

Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD will conduct a "Housing Choice Voucher Tenant Accessibility Study," which will: (1) assess the feasibility of conducting an ongoing nationwide mail survey of successful voucher program enrollees with physical disabilities about their experiences in searching for accessible units; and (2) examine the quality of the experiences that these enrollees have in their search for accessible units.
HUD will continue its study, "Assessment and Analysis of Multifamily Buildings' Conformity with Fair Housing Accessibility Provisions," which will provide: (1) a quantitative assessment of the extent to which these buildings conform to the accessibility provisions of the Fair Housing Act; and (2) an examination of the reasons for the extent of conformity, including explanations for patterns of non-conformity.

Department of Labor

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in collaboration with the Employment and Training Administration, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management's Civil Rights Center (CRC), will explore collecting data about people with disabilities who are accessing both services and employment through the workforce investment system. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is testing a set of questions to see if it can identify the disability population in the context of a labor force survey. Policymakers may be able to use this data to help determine where to target future Federal money on behalf of people with disabilities seeking employment.
ODEP will secure information from its national Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Disability Technical Assistance Consortium, designed to assist One-Stop Centers and other WIA-assisted programs to better serve youth with disabilities, including youth with significant disabilities who are making the transition from residential and other segregated environments to the community. This Consortium will provide ongoing data on outcomes, strategies, and other information needed to inform ODEP of needed policy-related actions.

Department of Transportation

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics will conduct a survey of individuals with disabilities to determine their views of the accessibility of transportation in their lives.

Last revised: April 9, 2002