You may have read today that HHS has announced a restructuring that includes moving Administration of Community Living (ACL) programs into various other sections of the agency instead of being housed together at ACL. HHS has published a fact sheet about the intended changes. Our national organization, NACDD, issued a press release about this that you can read here.
Jill Jacobs, Executive Director for the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities and former Commissioner of the Administration on Disabilities under the US Administration for Community Living (ACL) states “These programs have not only empowered individuals with disabilities to fully participate in society, but they ensure that communities have the benefit of hearing the valuable voices and all-important perspectives of people with disabilities.”
We stand in support of our federal partners at ACL and are deeply concerned about any effort to dismantle ACL, which was intentionally created in 2012 to increase efficiencies and provide seamless coordination of services for people with disabilities and older adults across the lifespan.