President Launches ‘Year of Community Living’

WASHINGTON—Marking the 10th anniversary of the Supreme
Court’s landmark Olmstead decision, President Barack Obama
has announced “The Year of Community Living,” an effort
to assist Americans with disabilities.
 
The new initiative is aimed at improving access for people with
disabilities to housing, community supports and independent living
arrangements, according to a White House press release. In
addition, Obama specifically directed the departments of Health and
Human Services and Housing and Urban Development to work together
on the effort.
 
In Olmstead v. L.C., the Court held that the unjustified
institutional isolation of people with disabilities is a form of
unlawful discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While things have improved somewhat, the release said,
“waiting lists for community services have grown considerably
and many individuals who would like to receive community services
are not able to obtain them.”
 
Following Obama’s proclamation, HHS Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius announced funding to expand the department’s Aging
and Disability Resource Centers, which she described as “one-stop
shop” sources of information and streamlined access to programs and
services that can enable people to remain in their own homes. Since
2003, the Administration on Aging and CMS have jointly funded ADRC
pilot programs in 45 states and territories; the new funding will
expand the program to all states.
 
Sebelius also announced the formation of an HHS Coordinating
Council to carry out Obama’s initiative. Led by the Office on
Disability, the council will also include AoA, CMS, the Office of
Civil Rights, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning
and Evaluation and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
 
As part of the initiative, CMS issued an Advanced Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking to solicit input about possible ways “to
improve current regulations by removing federal barriers that stand
in the way of states’ ability to design needs-based,
person-centered home and community-based waiver programs.
 
“This notice also aims to solicit comments on providing
additional clarity around the characteristics of home and
community-based settings,” CMS said.