A Statement from Chapel Haven Schleifer Center on Community Integration and Choice
July 8, 2026
At Chapel Haven Schleifer Center, our mission has always been rooted in a simple but powerful belief: every individual deserves the opportunity to live a meaningful life with dignity, purpose, connection, and choice.
Recent discussions surrounding the U.S. Department of Justice’s interpretation of disability rights laws, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead v. L.C. decision, have raised important questions for many individuals with disabilities, families, providers, and advocates. While the legal implications of these developments continue to be reviewed, one thing remains unchanged: Chapel Haven Schleifer Center’s commitment to supporting adults with disabilities in living, learning, working, and participating as fully as possible in their communities.
For more than 50 years, we have witnessed the transformative impact of community-based supports. We have seen individuals gain confidence, secure meaningful employment, build lasting friendships, live independently, pursue personal goals, and become active contributors to their communities. We have also seen the value of structured residential environments that provide safety, support, and opportunities for growth. Every individual’s path is unique.
At CHSC, we believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to independence. True inclusion means respecting individual choice and providing the right supports in the right setting at the right time. For some, that may mean living on campus and benefiting from a highly supportive residential community. For others, it may mean living independently in an apartment while continuing to receive coaching, employment support, and community-based services. Many individuals move along this continuum as their goals, skills, and aspirations evolve.
What unites all of these experiences is the belief that people with disabilities should have opportunities to make choices about their own lives and access the supports they need to thrive.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to person-centered planning, community engagement, and maximizing opportunities for independence. We will continue to work alongside families, advocates, policymakers, and disability organizations to ensure that the voices and experiences of people with disabilities remain at the center of these conversations.
Most importantly, we will continue doing what we have always done: empowering adults with disabilities to build the lives they choose and supporting them every step of the way.
The CHSC community has long been a model of what is possible when individuals are given opportunities, support, and belonging. We are proud of that legacy, and we remain committed to protecting and advancing it for generations to come.
Together, we will continue to champion a future where every individual has the opportunity to live with purpose, connection, independence, and hope.
— Chapel Haven Schleifer Center