d

July 26, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WWW.USDOJ.GOV

I am extremely pleased to report to you that, last Thursday, July 26, 2007, on the 17th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, President George W. Bush released the 2007 New Freedom Initiative Progress Report, which outlines many of the achievements that have taken place since the last such report was issued in 2004. The new report is the most comprehensive document of its kind in the history of this Administration, literally almost double the size of the last report. The New Freedom Initiative, launched in February 2001, is the President's agenda for advancing equality of opportunity and access for this nation's more than 50 million Americans with disabilities.

For your reference, here is the document's Table of Contents:

***

Foreword by President George W. Bush 1

Executive Summary 2

Chapter 1: Increasing Access through Technology
  Promoting Greater Access to Assistive Technology 6
  Spearheading Revolutionary Technological Innovations 7
  Fostering Policies and Procedures Promoting Use of Assistive Technology 8
  Increasing the Availability of Electronic Information 9
  Implementing Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 10
  Creating a Robust Assistive Technology Industry Domestically and Abroad 12
  Additional Activities 13

Chapter 2: Expanding Educational Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities
  Enhancing the Special Education Service Delivery Structure 15
  Preparing Children with Disabilities for the Future 17
  Enabling Youth with Disabilities to Enter the Workforce or Post-Secondary Education 17
  Providing Post-Secondary Students with Meaningful Internship Opportunities 19
  Upholding the Civil Rights of Students in Grade School and in Post-Secondary Education 20

Chapter 3: Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the Workplace
  Addressing Causes for Unemployment Among People with Disabilities 21
  Removing the Physical, Programmatic, and Attitudinal Barriers to Employment 22
  Improving the Service Delivery Infrastructure to Support Persons with Disabilities 26
  Eliminating Work Disincentives 28
  Expanding the Pipeline of Prospective Employees and Business Contractors 29

Chapter 4: Promoting Full Access to Community Life
  Implementing the Olmstead Decision Swiftly and Decisively 31
  Securing Voluntary Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act 34
  Expanding Transportation to Enhance Mobility 35
  Creating More Housing Options 36
  Enforcing the Rights of Voters with Disabilities 37
  Increasing Access to Healthcare, Services, and Supports 37
  Implementing the Recommendations of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health 39
  Integrating Persons with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness 42
  Protecting the Rights of Crime Victims with Disabilities 47
  Improving Access to Telecommunications 48
  Working to Ensure that Everyone Counts 49
  Increasing Access to Federal Lands 50
  Broadening Access to the Arts by People with Disabilities 51

Table of frequently-used abbreviations

***

Read the 2007 New Freedom Initiative Progress Report in its entirety.

In addition to the report highlighting a number of accomplishments, of significant note is a series of next steps that federal agencies (including ours) are committing to taking to continue the progress that we as a society have made. As advocates utilize the information in the report to chart their course ahead, we may all continue to engage in a collaborative process that will result in the lives of people with disabilities being positively enhanced for the better. Please do everything you can to distribute this information far and wide.

- - - - - - - - - -

Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.
Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Room 5539
Washington, DC   20530
(202) 514-8191 (Voice)
(202) 514-0716 (TTY)
(202) 307-2839 (Fax)
Ollie.Cantos@usdoj.gov