The Olmstead Decision is under threat! 

In June of 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that people with disabilities have the right to receive home and community-based services. The Olmstead Decision would later become the Olmstead Act.  

Before this Act, many people with disabilities were forced to live in institutions away from their families. They had limited opportunities to go to school or work. They did not have the right to make choices about their own lives. The staff at the institutions controlled what they ate, what they wore, when they went outside, their bedtime, if they had relationships, and so many other things that we may take for granted. 

Many people in the disability community fought hard to have more rights and to have more control over their lives. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. However, the ADA did not go far enough. People still did not have the support they needed to live in the community. 

Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson had developmental disabilities and lived in state hospitals in Georgia. They both wanted to live in the community. Lois called lawyers and social workers many times until an attorney filed a lawsuit on her behalf. They won the lawsuit! The court said that institutions were a form of discrimination against people with disabilities. People with disabilities should not be separated from society or denied the right to make decisions about their lives.  

Today, these rights are under threat. The Department of Justice stated that the Olmstead Decision did not mandate maximum integration. If this opinion is upheld, states may not be required to provide services or support in inclusive settings. This opinion may jeopardize our health and safety. It puts our ability to live, work, and play in the community at risk.

Please contact your elected officials. Tell them that people with disabilities have the right to community support. This support is essential. If the Olmstead Decision is rolled back, many of us with disabilities will be forced to live in segregated settings and denied the right to make basic decisions about our lives. Tell your elected officials that we cannot go backwards.

Find your US legislators here: US Government Representatives

The Ride Ahead is going to the birthplace of the Independent Living Movement - Berkeley, CA! Join us on June 30 at 1pm PT / 4pm ET in person at Ed Robert's Campus in Berkeley CA or online via Zoom.