The New Freedom Program XE "New Freedom Program: History"  grew out of the New Freedom Initiative introduced by the Administration under Executive Order 13217, “Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with Disabilities,” on June 18, 2001.  The Order states:  “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” and calls upon the Federal government to assist States and localities to swiftly implement the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Olmstead v. L.C.

Executive Order 13217 directed six Federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, Housing and Urban Development and the Social Security Administration to “evaluate the policies, programs, statutes and regulations of their respective agencies to determine whether any should be revised or modified to improve the availability of community-based services for qualified individuals with disabilities.”  The Departments of Transportation and Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of Personnel Management, though not named in the Executive Order, also joined in the implementation effort.  Together, these agencies formed the Interagency Council on Community Living under the leadership of the DHHS XE "Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)". 

Individuals who are transportation-disadvantaged face different challenges in accessing services depending on whether they live in urban, rural, or suburban areas.  The geographic dispersion of transportation-disadvantaged populations also creates challenges for human service programs hoping to deliver transportation for their passengers.

Over the years, in response to these challenges, Federal, State and local governments, and community-based organizations created specialized programs to meet particular transportation needs.  At the Federal level alone, there are at least 62 separate programs, administered by eight Federal departments, and even more agencies, that provide special transportation services to individuals with disabilities, older adults, and people with low incomes.  Most of these are human service programs that fund limited transportation services to provide eligible participants with access to particular services, such as job training, health care, senior centers, or rehabilitation programs.  

The President has included funds for the New Freedom Program XE "New Freedom Program"  in the annual budget request to Congress since FY 2003; however, it was not until the enactment of SAFETEA–LU that funding was authorized by Congress.  Funding was first appropriated for the transportation provision in FY 2006.  The New Freedom Program XE "New Freedom Program"  is intended to fill the gaps between human service and public transportation services previously available and to facilitate the integration of individuals with disabilities into the workforce and full participation in the community.
 

For more information on the New Freedom Program visit the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration website at:

• http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants/grants_financing_3549.html

Transportation Coordination Network of the Coastal Bend | TCNCB.org © 2008 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

5151 Flynn Parkway, Suite 404  |  Corpus Christi, Texas 78411-4318   |  Phone: (361) 853-9200   Fax: (361) 853-9202   Toll Free: 877-853-9229