[Nfbf-l] 15 Years After Olmstead -- Our Commitment to Community Living of people with disabilities

[Alan Dicey]

Dear Friends,
Passing this along.
Yes, there have been advancements, but we need to continue reminding our 
government, we, People with Disabilities,  are far from where we need to be!
With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Florida

Friday, June 20, 2014
 Dear Community Leaders,
Please take a moment to read and share my blog post on WhiteHouse.gov. The 
blog post celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Olmstead decision and 
recognizes the progress we have all made since 1999. Thank you for all your 
hard work on behalf of people with disabilities and their families. Onward!
Paulette Aniskoff
Director of the Office of Public Engagement
15 Years After Olmstead -- Our Commitment to Community Living
Fifteen years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that under the Americans with 
Disabilities Act, people with disabilities cannot be unnecessarily 
segregated and must receive services in the most integrated setting 
possible. That ruling, known as the Olmstead decision, sparked significant 
changes in how federal, state, and local agencies support people with 
disabilities and their families.
The approach our Administration put into place in 2009 to help those with 
disabilities is showing tremendous results, and improving the lives of 
individuals with disabilities. Fifteen years after the ruling, the 
Departments of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), Justice, and Health and 
Human Services (HHS) continue to work together to make the promise of 
Olmstead real.
For example at HHS, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) was 
established in April 2012, creating a single agency charged with developing 
policies and improving support for seniors and people with disabilities. ACL 
collaborates with entities across the Administration to promote the goals of 
the Americans with Disabilities Act: to assure equality of opportunity, full 
participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for 
individuals with disabilities.
All indications are that we are heading in the right direction. We are 
working to address many of the most imposing barriers facing those who want 
to live on their own: finding affordable, accessible housing and improving 
access to quality support and services tailored to each person's goals.
Thousands of individuals have moved from nursing homes and institutions into 
affordable, accessible homes in the community. Working together, HHS and HUD 
have increased the coordination between supportive services and access to 
housing, as well as the number of accessible homes integrated in the 
community that are available for persons with disabilities.
Stories of the success of this approach offer great hope. For example, 
Baltimore native James is a former trucker who found himself in a nursing 
home after his wife passed away, his diabetes worsened, and he experienced 
severe medical problems. Thanks to a clergyman who provided a computer, 
James began to do research. He found a new doctor and identified a federal 
housing program that helped him move to his own apartment. He reports 
recovering confidence in making decisions for himself and says that 
returning to the community was "100%" what he had hoped it to be.
Chrystal lived away from her children in a nursing home for two years, and 
transitioned back home with help from Medicaid. As a mom, her favorite part 
of the day is meeting her children as they get off the school bus. She's now 
taking college classes with the help of adaptive technology, and looks 
forward to a brighter future.
Thanks to the recent HHS rules on home and community-based settings, states 
will be better able to define the best places for persons with disabilities 
to receive services, based on the person's preferences, quality of life and 
access to the broader community. This will reduce isolation and segregation 
as well as protecting individual rights. States will need to consider many 
things -- Can people eat food they like, when they want to? Choose their 
roommates? Have guests visit when they want? Come and go from their home as 
they please?
Having appropriate housing and services and supports is critical, but it is 
not enough. The Olmstead decision requires that individuals receive services 
in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs -- including 
employment. Recently, the Department of Justice entered into a 
ground-breaking agreement with the State of Rhode Island. This settlement 
vindicates the civil rights of individuals with disabilities who have been 
unnecessarily segregated in sheltered workshops and facility-based day 
programs. More than 3,000 people will now get the support they need to work 
in integrated workplaces. That is a big win.
The Olmstead decision, and the work we are doing across the Administration, 
reflect our nation's commitment that all of our citizens have the right to 
live, work and play among their neighbors, in communities across our 
country, pursuing their American dream.
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