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On June 18, 2001, President Bush signed Executive Order No. 13217 on Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with Disabilities. The Order commits the United States to community-based alternatives for individuals with disabilities and recognizes that such services advance the best interests of the United States. The order:

• Calls for swift implementation of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision that holds that unjustified isolation or segregation of qualified individuals through institutionalization is a form of disability-based discrimination prohibited by Title II of the ADA.


• Directs the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Social Security Administration to provide assistance and to work cooperatively with States to achieve the goals of Title II of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).


• Directs these six federal agencies to "evaluate the policies, programs, statues, and regulations of their respective agencies to determine whether any should be revised or modified to improve the availability of community-based services for qualified individuals with disabilities." The review must focus on identifying affected populations, improving the flow of information about supports in the community, and removing barriers that impede opportunities for community placement. Public input from consumers, advocacy organization, providers, and other relevant agencies is an important part of this evaluation effort. The results of the evaluation must be reported, through the Department of Health and Human Services, to the President by October 16, 2001.

Reference Information

• Opportunity for Public Input in carrying out Executive Order 13217
• Executive Order Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with Disabilities - Executive Order 13217, June 18, 2001.
• White House Fact Sheet - Executive Order 13217.
• DHHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson, July 27, 2001 letter regarding Executive Order 13217,
  DHHS Press Release, and
  Fact Sheet.