New Freedom Initiative -- Preliminary Report: Overview and Highlights

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

Preliminary Report Overview

Part I of this Preliminary Report sets forth the federal agencies' vision for a successful community service system consistent with the Order. In 13 major areas, the Report discusses the barriers to community integration articulated by the agencies and highlights key solutions. Detailed descriptions of all agency activities will be provided in the individual reports of each agency, which will be released shortly.

Part II of the Preliminary Report describes federal agency efforts to ensure public input in conducting self-evaluations of agency programs, policies, statutes and regulations, and provides the legal and factual context for the Order. Specifically, it describes the roots of the Executive Order, providing background on the Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C. and on the ADA.

Highlights of Federal Agency Actions to Promote Community Integration

As a result of the self-evaluation process required by Executive Order 13217, federal agencies devised literally hundreds of solutions to facilitate the community integration of individuals with disabilities. These solutions fall into the following categories:

Last revised: April 9, 2002