Organization
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is headed by the Administrator, who reports directly to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACL’s Principal Deputy Administrator serves as Senior Advisor to the HHS Secretary for Disability Policy.
ACL is structured to provide general policy coordination while retaining unique programmatic operations specific to the needs of each population we serve. ACL is comprised of the following units:
- Office of the Administrator*
- Administration on Aging (AoA)
- Administration on Disabilities (AoD)
- National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)
- Center for Integrated Programs (CIP)
- Center for Management and Budget (CMB)
- Center for Policy and Evaluation (CPE)
*Within the Office of the Administrator is ACL’s Office of Regional Operations. ACL’s Regional Support Centers are located across the United States.
For more information about ACL’s organizational structure, please refer to our organizational chart and accompanying description of the responsibilities of each unit and office.
Learn more about ACL’s Senior Leadership by reading the biographies.
ACL Statement
ACL was initially established on April 18, 2012 by bringing together the Administration on Aging, the Office on Disability and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. Since then, ACL has grown significantly. Through budget legislation in subsequent years, Congress moved several programs that serve older adults and people with disabilities from other agencies to ACL, including the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, the Paralysis Resource Center, and the Limb Loss Resource Center. The 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act moved the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and the independent living and assistive technology programs from the Department of Education to ACL.
On June 2, 2015 the Federal Register published ACL’s updated Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority (PDF). An online version of the published Statement is also available. The Statement reflects ACL’s expanded mission and details the organization structure and roles and responsibilities of its centers and offices.
From the beginning, ACL was based on a commitment to one fundamental principle—that people with disabilities and older adults should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose and fully participate in their communities. Inherent in this principle is the core belief that everyone can contribute, throughout their lives.
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