Welcome to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) New Freedom Initiative Web site. This site is dedicated to providing visitors with information about one of the priorities of the Bush administration: eliminating the barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in community life. The New Freedom Initiative provides a comprehensive, government-wide framework for achieving that goal.
Appropriate, quality health care is essential for all Americans, but for people with disabilities, it can mean the difference between living independently in the community or living in an institutional setting.
The Office on Disability is responsible for the Department's attention to and addressing of the President's New Freedom Initiative. As the nation's leading advocate for the health and welfare of all Americans, HHS is proud to play a central role in the President's New Freedom Initiative and its goal of community integration for people with disabilities.