Re: [disabilitydirect-announce] FW: Executive Order 13217 Preliminary Report

[Guest guest]

>>> <disabilitydirect-announce@...> 01/02/02 10:14AM >>>

On June 18, 2001, President Bush signed Executive Order No. 13217,

" Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with Disabilities. " The Order

called upon the federal government to assist states to implement swiftly the

decision of the United States Supreme Court in Olmstead v. L.C., stating:

" The United States is committed to community-based alternatives for individuals

with disabilities and recognizes that such services advance the best interests

of the United States. " The President promised to sign the Executive Order as

part of his New Freedom Initiative, a comprehensive set of proposals to advance

the integration of people with disabilities into society and the workplace.

Last Friday, December 21, 2001, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy

submitted to the President the first report of agency efforts to meet

the Executive Order directive, entitled " Delivering on the Promise: Preliminary

Report of Federal Agencies' Actions to Eliminate Barriers and Promote Community

Integration. " It 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 and personal assistance.

It is moving to read that the report is dedicated to Colleen Fraser, the former

Executive Director of the Progressive Center for Independent Living in Ewing,

New Jersey. Colleen was one of the passengers killed on the hijacked flight

that went down in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11th. We will keep Colleen's sister,

Fraser, in our hearts as we carry out the important work to which her

sister was devoted.

Thank you to Secretary , the nine agency heads and the

dedicatedpersonnel in the 10 federal agencies who worked around the clock for

the last few months to tackle the persistent barriers facing people living in

institutions. We look forward to reading the report and working with the

agencies so that people with disabilities can participate as fully in their

communities as all Americans.

You can find copy of the report on the HHS website at

www.hhs.gov/newfreedom/presidentrpt.hmtl. It also will be linked from the

HHS New Freedom page at wwww.hhs.gov/newfreedom

Have a happy, healthy, peaceful holiday season.

Sheehy

Domestic Policy Council

The White House

---------

If you wish to Unsubscribe to DisabilityDirect-announce, please send email to:

disabilitydirect-announce-request@... with the Subject line

reading: unsubscribe

The moderators of this list welcome your feedback. You may contact us at:

disabilitydirect-announce-moderators@... .

*****************************************************************

This email has been scanned by MailMax.

http://www.maximizeit.net

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************