Foreword by President George W. Bush
My Administration is committed to tearing down the barriers to
equality that face many of the 54 million Americans with disabilities.
Eleven years ago the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) made it
a violation of federal law to discriminate against a person with a
disability.
But there is much more to do. Though progress has been made in the
last decade, too many Americans with disabilities remain trapped in
bureaucracies of dependence, denied the tools they need to fully access their
communities.
The unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities hovers at 70
percent. Home ownership rates are in the single digits. And Internet access for
Americans with disabilities is half that of people without disabilities.
I am committed to tearing down the remaining barriers to equality
that face Americans with disabilities today. My New Freedom Initiative will
help Americans with disabilities by increasing access to assistive
technologies, expanding educational opportunities, increasing the ability of
Americans with disabilities to integrate into the workforce, and promoting
increased access into daily community life.
I look forward to working with Congress to see these proposals
become law.
Remarks by the President in
Announcement of New Freedom Initiative
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Fulfilling Americas Promise to Americans with
Disabilities
Disability is not the experience of a minority of Americans.
Rather, it is an experience that will touch most Americans at some point during
their lives.
Today, there are over 54 million Americans with disabilities, a
full 20 percent of the U.S. population. Almost half of these individuals have a
severe disability, affecting their ability to see, hear, walk, or perform other
basic functions of life. In addition, there are over 25 million family
caregivers and millions more who provide aid and assistance to people with
disabilities.
Eleven years ago, Congress passed and President George Bush signed
one of the most significant civil rights laws since the Civil Rights Act of
1964 the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In doing so, America
opened its door to a new age for people with disabilities. Two and a half years
ago, amendments to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were enacted
ensuring that the Federal Government would purchase electronic and information
technology which is open and accessible for people with disabilities.
Although progress has been made over the years to improve access
to employment, public accommodations, commercial facilities, information
technology, telecommunications services, housing, schools, and polling places,
significant challenges remain for Americans with disabilities in realizing the
dream of equal access to full participation in American society. Indeed, the
Harris surveys by the National Organization on Disability and numerous other
studies have highlighted these persistent obstacles.
Americans with disabilities
have a lower level of educational attainment than those without disabilities:
- One out of five adults with disabilities has not graduated from
high school, compared to less than one of ten adults without disabilities.
- National graduation rates for students who receive special
education and related services have stagnated at 27 percent for the past three
years, while rates are 75 percent for students who do not rely on special
education.
Americans with disabilities
are poorer and more likely to be unemployed than those without disabilities:
- In 1997, over 33% of adults with disabilities lived in a
household with an annual income of less than $15,000, compared to only 12
percent of those without disabilities.
- Unemployment rates for working-age adults with disabilities
have hovered at the 70 percent level for at least the past 12 years, while
rates are significantly lower for working-age adults without disabilities.
Too many Americans with
disabilities remain outside the economic and social mainstream of American
life:
- 71% of people without disabilities own homes, but fewer than
10% of those with disabilities do.
- Computer usage and Internet access for people with disabilities
is half that of people without disabilities.
- People with disabilities vote at a rate that is 20 percent
below voters without disabilities. In local areas, disability issues seldom
surface in election campaigns, and inaccessible polling places often discourage
citizens with disabilities from voting.
People with disabilities want to be employed, educated, and
participating, citizens living in the community. In todays global new
economy, America must be able to draw on the talents and creativity of all its
citizens.
The Administration will work to ensure that all Americans have the
opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, choose
where to live and participate in community life. The Presidents New
Freedom Initiative represents an important step in achieving these goals.
It will expand research in and access to assistive and universally designed
technologies, further integrate Americans with disabilities into the workforce
and help remove barriers to participation in community life.
The Policy
The New Freedom Initiative is composed of
the following key components:
Increasing Access to Assistive and Universally Designed Technologies:
- Federal Investment in Assistive Technology Research and
Development. The Administration will provide a major increase in the
Rehabilitative Engineering Research Centers budget for assistive
technologies, create a new fund to help bring assistive technologies to market,
and better coordinate the Federal effort in prioritizing immediate assistive
and universally designed technology needs in the disability community.
- Access to Assistive Technology. Assistive technology is often
prohibitively expEnsive. In order to increase access, funding for low-interest
loan programs to purchase assistive technologies will increase
significantly.
Expanding Educational Opportunities for Americans with Disabilities:
- Increase Funding for the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). In return for participating in a new system of
flexibility and accountability in the use of Federal education funds, states
will receive an increase in IDEA funds for education at the local level and
help in meeting the special needs of students with disabilities.
- Focus on Reading in Early Grades. States that establish a
comprehensive reading program for students, including those with disabilities,
from preschool through second grade will be eligible for grants under President
Bushs Reading First and Early Reading First Initiatives.
- Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the
Workforce:
- Expanding Telecommuting. The Administration will provide
Federal matching funds to states to guarantee low-interest loans for
individuals with disabilities to purchase computers and other equipment
necessary to telework from home. In addition, legislation will be proposed to
make a companys contribution of computer and Internet access for home use
by employees with disabilities a tax-free benefit.
- Swift Implementation of Ticket to Work. President
Bush has committed to sign an order that directs the federal agency to swiftly
implement the law giving Americans with disabilities the ability to choose
their own support services and maintain their health benefits when they return
to work.
- Full Enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Technical assistance will be provided to promote ADA compliance and to help
small businesses hire more people with disabilities. The Administration will
also promote the Disabled Access Credit, an incentive program created in 1990
to assist small businesses comply with the Act.
- Innovative Transportation Solutions. Accessible transportation
can be a particularly difficult barrier for Americans with disabilities
entering the workforce. Funding will be provided for 10 pilot programs that use
innovative approaches to developing transportation plans that serve people with
disabilities. The Administration will also establish a competitive matching
grant program to promote access to alternative methods of transportation
through community-based and other providers.
Promoting Full Access to
Community Life:
- Promote Homeownership for People with Disabilities. Congress
recently passed the American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act
of 2000, which will permit recipients with disabilities to use up to a
years worth of vouchers to finance the down payment on a home. The
Administration will work to swiftly implement the recently enacted law.
- Swift Implementation of the Olmstead Decision. President Bush
has committed to sign an order supporting the most integrated community-based
settings for individuals with disabilities, in accordance with the Olmstead
decision.
- National Commission on Mental Health. President Bush has
committed to create a National Commission on Mental Health, which will study
and make recommendations for improving Americas mental health service
delivery system, including making recommendations on the availability and
delivery of new treatments and technologies for individuals with severe mental
illness.
- Improving Access. Federal matching funds will be provided
annually to increase the accessibility of organizations that are currently
exempt from Title III of the ADA, such as churches, mosques, synagogues, and
civic organizations. The Administration also supports improving access to
polling places and ballot secrecy for people with disabilities.
Increasing Access to Assistive
and Universally Designed Technologies
(Title I)
Overview
The Administrations commitment to increase access to
assistive and universally designed technologies is based upon the principle
that every American must have the opportunity to participate fully in society.
In the global new economy, America must draw on the talents and creativity of
all its citizens.
Assistive and universally designed technologies can be a powerful
tool for millions of Americans with disabilities, dramatically improving
ones quality of life and ability to engage in productive work. New
technologies are opening opportunities for even those with the most severe
disabilities. For example, some individuals with quadriplegia can now operate
computers by the glance of an eye. As the National Council on Disability (NCD)
has stated, for Americans without disabilities, technology makes things
easier. For Americans with disabilities, technology makes things
possible.
Unfortunately, assistive and universally designed technologies are
often prohibitively expensive. In addition, innovation is being hampered by
insufficient Federal funding for and coordination of assistive technology
research and development programs.
The New Freedom Initiative will help ensure that Americans with
disabilities can access the best technologies of today and that even better
technologies will be available in the future. At the core of this effort are
proposals that reinvigorate the Federal investment in assistive technologies;
improve Federal collaboration and promote private-public partnerships; and
increase access to this technology for people with disabilities.
Summary of Proposals
Increases Federal Investment in Assistive Technology Research and Development:
Rehabilitative Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) are recognized
as conducting some of the most innovative and high impact assistive technology
research in the Federal Government. The 15 RERCs are housed in universities and
other non-profit institutions around the country and focus on a specific area
of research for example, information technology access, prosthetics and
orthotics, and technology for children with orthopedic disabilities. To advance
research specifically targeted to the disabilities community, the
Administration will significantly increase funding for the RERCs.
Improves Coordination of the
Federal Assistive Technology Research and Development Program:
There is no effective coordinating body for assistive technology
research and development within the Federal Government. While the Interagency
Committee on Disabilities Research (ICDR) was designed to coordinate the
Federal effort, it has no real authority and has no budget. The Administration
will provide new funding to the ICDR so that it can prioritize the immediate
assistive and universally designed technology needs in the disability
community, as well as foster collaborative projects between the Federal
laboratories and the private sector.
Promotes Private-Public
Partnerships:
There are nearly 2,500 companies working to bring new assistive
technologies to market. Many small businesses, however, cannot make the
necessary capital investments until they have information concerning the market
for a particular assistive technology. To help these businesses bring assistive
technologies to market, the Administration will establish an Assistive
Technology Development Fund. Housed under the ICDR, the fund will help
underwrite technology demonstration, testing, validation and market assessment
to meet specific needs of small businesses so that they can better serve the
needs of people with disabilities.
Increases Access to Assistive
Technology:
Assistive technology is often prohibitively expensive. For
example, personal computers configured with assistive technology can cost
anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000. The Administration will significantly increase
Federal funding for low-interest loans to purchase assistive technology. These
grants will go to a state agency in collaboration with banks or non-profit
groups to guarantee loans and lower interest rates.
Expanding Educational
Opportunities for Americans with Disabilities
(Title II)
Overview
Education is the key to independent living and a high quality of
life. Unfortunately, one in five adults with disabilities has not graduated
from high school, compared to less than one of ten adults without disabilities.
The Administration will expand access to quality education for Americans with
disabilities.
Originally passed by Congress in 1975, the Individuals with
Disabilities Act, or IDEA, ensures that children with disabilities would have a
free public education that would meet their unique needs.
The Administration will increase educational opportunity for
children with disabilities by working with Congress to give states increased
IDEA funds. This will help meet the needs of students with disabilities and
free up additional resources for education at the local level.
Summary of Proposals
Increases Funding for Special Education. In return for
participating in a new system of flexibility and accountability in the use of
Federal education funds, states will receive an increase in IDEA funds for
education at the local level and help in meeting the special needs of students
with disabilities.
Establishes the Reading First Program.
President Bush will increase Federal funding to students, including those with
disabilities, by creating an incentive fund for states to teach every child to
read by third grade. States that choose to draw from this fund will be required
to initiate, among other requirements: a reading diagnostic test for students
in K-2 to determine where students need help; a research-based reading
curriculum; training for K-2 teachers in reading preparation; and intervention
for students who are not reading at grade level in K-2.
Supplements Reading First with an Early Childhood Reading
Initiative. States participating in the Reading First program will have the
option to receive Early Reading First funding to implement
research-based reading programs in existing pre-school programs and Head Start
programs that feed into participating elementary schools. The purpose of this
program is to illustrate on a larger scale recent research findings that
children taught pre-reading and math skills in pre-school enter school ready to
learn reading and mathematics.
Promoting
Homeownership for Americans with Disabilities
(Title III)
Overview
Homeownership has always been at the heart of the American
dream. This past year, Congress passed the American Homeownership
and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000, which reforms Federal rental
assistance to give individuals who qualify the opportunity to purchase a home.
Rental assistance for low-income Americans, including those with
disabilities, is provided by a program known as Section 8 of the Housing Act of
1937, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). Residents are provided Section 8 vouchers so that they can afford rental
payments for public housing. And many of those Section 8 vouchers go to
individuals with disabilities.
In addition to increasing independence, homeownership also
promotes savings. Mortgage payments, unlike rental payments, help build net
worth because a portion of the payment goes toward building equity. In turn, as
ones home equity increases, it becomes easier to finance other purchases
such as a computer or further education.
Summary of Action
Implementation of the Section
8 Program to Allow Recipients to Apply Their Rental Vouchers to Homeownership:
The Administration will implement Public Law 106-569, which allows
local Public Housing Authorities to provide recipients of Section 8 vouchers
who have disabilities with up to a years worth of vouchers in a lump-sum
payment to finance the down payment on a home.
Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the Workforce
Title IV (Part A:
Promoting Telework)
Overview
Americans with disabilities should have every freedom to pursue
careers, integrate into the workforce, and participate as full members in the
economic marketplace.
The New Freedom Initiative will help tear down barriers to the
workplace, and help promote full access and integration.
Computer technology and the Internet have tremendous potential to
broaden the lives and increase the independence of people with disabilities.
Nearly half of people with disabilities say the Internet has significantly
improved their quality of life, compared to 27 percent of people without
disabilities.
The computer and Internet revolution has not reached as many
people with disabilities as the population without disabilities. Only 25% of
people with disabilities own a computer, compared with 66% of U.S. adults. And
only 20% of people with disabilities have access to the Internet, compared to
over 40% of U.S. adults.
The primary barrier to wider access is cost. Computers with
adaptive technology can cost as much as $20,000, which is prohibitively
expensive for many individuals. And the median income of Americans with
disabilities is far below the national average.
The New Freedom Initiative will expand the avenue of teleworking,
so that individuals with mobility impairments can work from their homes if they
choose.
Summary of Proposals
Creates the Access to Telework Fund. Federal
matching funds will be provided annually to states to guarantee low-income
loans for people with disabilities to purchase equipment to telecommute from
home.
Makes a Company's Contribution of Computer and Internet Access
for Home Use by Employees with Disabilities a Tax-Free Benefit. The
Administration will encourage businesses to give computers and Internet access
to employees with disabilities by making it explicit that this provision is a
tax-free benefit. By making this benefit tax free to employees, the proposal
will encourage more employers to provide computer equipment and Internet
access, and employees will have greater options to take advantage of this
flexibility for teleworking. For individuals with disabilities, this
flexibility will expand the universe of potential and accessible employment.
Prohibits OSHA from Regulating Home Office
Standards. In November 1999, the U.S. Department of Labors
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an 8-page response
to an employer inquiry asserting that it had the power to regulate home office
standards and hold employers responsible if those standards were not met. This
proposal would have had a chilling effect on teleworking, as employers would
seek to avoid potential liabilities. Although OSHA has since withdrawn the
response, it has not yet foreclosed future action. The proposal will amend the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to prohibit OSHA from being applied
to the home worksites of employees who work at home through the use of
telephone, computer or electronic device.
Integrating Americans with
Disabilities into the Workforce
(Part B: Ticket-to-Work)
Overview
In 1999, Congress passed the Ticket-to-Work and Work
Incentives Improvement Act, which will give Americans with disabilities
both the incentive and the means to seek employment.
As part of the New Freedom Initiative, the Administration will
ensure the Acts swift implementation.
Today, there are more than 7.5 million Americans with disabilities
receiving benefits under Federal disability programs. According to a recent
Harris Survey, conducted by the National Organization of Disability, 72 percent
of the Americans with disabilities want to work. However, in part because of
disincentives in Federal law, less than 1 percent of those receiving disability
benefits fully enter the workforce.
Prior to the Ticket to Work law, in order to continue
to receive disability payments and health coverage, recipients could not engage
in any substantial work. The Ticket to Work law, however, provides incentives
for people with disabilities to return to work by:
- Providing Americans with disabilities with a voucher-like
ticket that allows them to choose their own support services,
including vocational education programs and rehabilitation services.
- Extending Medicare coverage for SSDI beneficiaries so they can
return to work without the fear of losing health benefits.
- Expanding Medicaid eligibility categories for certain working
people with severe disabilities so that they can continue to receive benefits
after their income or condition improves.
Summary of Action
President Bush Has Committed to Sign an Order to Support
Effective and Swift Implementation of Ticket to Work. The order
will direct the federal agency to continue to swiftly implement the law giving
Americans with disabilities the ability to choose their own support services
and to maintain their health benefits when they return to work.
Integrating Americans with
Disabilities into the Workforce
(Part C: Compliance with
Americans with Disabilities Act)
Overview
When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law
on July 26, 1990, it was the most far reaching law advancing access of
individuals with disabilities, workforce integration, and independence. The
law, signed by President George Bush, gives civil rights protections to
individuals with disabilities that are like those provided to individuals on
the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion.
In the eleven years since it was signed, the ADA has worked to
guarantee equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in employment,
public accommodations, transportation, State and local government services, and
telecommunications. The law has been especially helpful in providing access to
jobs, especially in the small business sector, which has created two-thirds of
all net new jobs since the early 1970s.
To encourage small businesses to comply with the ADA, legislation
was signed into law in 1990 to provide a credit for 50 percent of eligible
expenses up to $5,000 a year. Such eligible expenses include assistive
technologies. Unfortunately, many small businesses are not aware of this
credit.
President George W. Bush believes that the Americans with
Disabilities Act has been an integral component of the movement toward full
integration of individuals with disabilities but recognizes that there is still
much more to be done. He also recognizes that to further integrate individuals
with disabilities into the workforce, more needs to be done to promote ADA
compliance.
Summary of Proposals
Supports the ADA and Provides Technical Assistance to Small
Businesses. The President and the Attorney General will ensure full
enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act by the Civil Rights Division
of the Department of Justice. In addition, the New Freedom Initiative will
provide resources annually for technical assistance to help small businesses
comply with the Act, serve customers, and hire more people with
disabilities.
Promotes the Awareness and Utilization of Disabled Access
Credit (DAC). The DAC, created in 1990, is an incentive program to assist
small businesses in complying with the ADA. DAC provides a credit for 50
percent of eligible expenses up to $5,000 a year, including expenses associated
with making their facilities accessible and with purchasing assistive
technologies. Utilization of the credit has been limited because small
businesses are often not aware of it.
Expanding Transportation Options
(Title V)
Overview
Every American should have the opportunity to participate fully in
society and engage in productive work. Unfortunately, millions of Americans
with disabilities are locked out of the workplace because they are denied the
tools and access necessary for success.
Transportation can be a particularly difficult barrier to work for
Americans with disabilities. In 1997, the Director of Project Action stated
that access to transportation is often the critical factor in obtaining
employment for the nations 25 million transit dependent people with
disabilities. Today, the lack of adequate transportation remains a
primary barrier to work for people with disabilities: one-third of people with
disabilities report that inadequate transportation is a significant problem.
Through formula grant programs and the enforcement of the ADA, the
Federal Government has helped make our mass transit systems more accessible.
More must be done, however, to test new transportation ideas and 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.
On a daily basis, many non-profit groups and businesses are
working hard to help people with disabilities live and work independently.
These organizations often lack the funds to get people with disabilities to job
interviews, to job training, and to work.
The Federal Government should support the development of
innovative transportation initiatives and partner with local organizations to
promote access to alternate methods of transportation.
Summary of Proposals
Promotes innovative transportation solutions for people with
disabilities by funding pilot programs. The proposal provides funding for
10 pilot programs run by state or local governments in regional, urban, and
rural areas. Pilot programs will be selected on the basis of the use of
innovative approaches to developing transportation plans that serve people with
disabilities. The Administration will work with Congress to evaluate the
effectiveness of these pilot programs and encourage the expansion of successful
initiatives.
Helps create a network of alternate transportation through
community-based and other providers. The proposal will establish a
competitive matching grant program to promote access to alternative methods of
transportation. This dollar-for-dollar matching program will be open to
community-based organizations that seek to integrate Americans with
disabilities into the workforce. The funds will go toward the purchase and
operation of specialty vans, assisting people with down payments or costs
associated with accessible vehicles, and extending the use of existing
transportation resources.
Promoting Full Access to Community Life
Title VI (Part A:
Commitment to Community-Based Care)
Overview
On June 22, 1999, the Supreme Court decided Olmstead v. L.C.,
ruling that, in appropriate circumstances, the ADA requires the placement of
persons with disabilities in a community-integrated setting whenever possible.
The Court concluded that unjustified isolation, e.g.,
institutionalization when a doctor deems community treatment equally
beneficial, is properly regarded as discrimination based on
disability.
Olmstead has yet to be fully implemented. President Bush believes
that community-based care is critically important to promoting maximum
independence and to integrating individuals with disabilities into community
life.
Summary of Proposals
President Bush has Committed to Sign an Order Supporting Swift
Implementation of the Olmstead Decision. The order will support the most
integrated community-based settings for individuals with disabilities, in
accordance with the Olmstead decision. The Administration will pursue swift
implementation in a manner that respects the proper roles of the Federal
Government and the several states.
Promoting Full Access to
Community Life
(Part B: Better Coordination
of Federal Resources to Address Mental Health Problems)
Overview
Currently, there are numerous Federal agencies that oversee mental
health policies, funding, laws and programs including: the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the
Health Care Financing Administration, the Office of Personnel Management, the
Social Security Administration, the Health Resources and Services
Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department
of Education, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Labor.
These Federal agencies are doing valuable work, but they would be
much more effective, efficient, and less duplicative if they were better
coordinated.
With coordination, the competitive advantage of each agency could
be leveraged to provide the most needed and suitable service in the framework
of federal efforts to address mental health.
Summary of Proposals
President Bush Has Committed to Create a National Commission on
Mental Health. The National Commission will study and make recommendations
for improving Americas mental health service delivery system, including
making recommendations on the availability and delivery of new treatments and
technologies for individuals with severe mental illness.
Promoting Full Access to
Community Life
(Part C: Access to the
Political Process)
Overview
There are over 35 million voting-age persons with disabilities,
but currently people with disabilities register to vote at a rate that is 16
percentage points less than the rest of the population and vote at a rate that
is 20 percent voters who have no disabilities.
According to the National Organization on Disability, low voter
turnout among people who are disabled is due to both accessibility problems at
voting locations and the lack of secrecy and independence when voting. The most
recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) report states that at least 20,000 of
the Nations more than 120,000 polling places are inaccessible to people
with disabilities.
President Bush recognizes that full integration into society must
include access to and participation in the political process.
Summary of Proposals
Supports Improving Accessibility to Voting for Americans with
Disabilities. President Bush will support improved access to polling places
and ballot secrecy. He will work with Congress to address the barriers to
voting for Americans with disabilities and to expanding suffrage for all
Americans.
Promoting Full Access to
Community Life
(Part D: Access to ADA-Exempt
Organizations)
Overview
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 opened
countless businesses and public accommodations to people with disabilities by
mandating that they be made accessible. For constitutional and other concerns,
however, Title III exempts many civic organizations (such as Rotary and Lions
Clubs) and religious organizations from its requirements of full access.
Americans with disabilities should be fully integrated into their
communities, and civic and religious organizations are vital parts of those
communities. Too many private clubs, churches, synagogues, and mosques are
inaccessible or unwelcoming to people with disabilities. As a result, people
with disabilities are often unable to participate as fully in community or
religious events.
The National Organization on Disability has led a national effort
to make places of worship accessible and welcoming to all Americans. Many
organizations and congregations want to be open to all but have limited
resources to ensure accessibility.
Every effort should be made to ensure that Americans with
disabilities have the opportunity to be integrated into their communities and
welcomed into communities of faith.
Summary of Proposals
Establishes a National Fund to Provide Matching Grants for
Accessibility Renovations for ADA-Exempt Organizations: To assist private
clubs and religious organizations in making sure that their facilities are
fully accessible and to expand access for all, the proposal provides annual
Federal matching grants to ADA-exempt organizations making renovations or
accommodations to improve accessibility. Because all ADA-exempt organizations
will be eligible for the grants, irrespective of whether they are religious or
secular, they would comport with the Supreme Courts test for
constitutional neutrality. |