Here are your three disability-related links for Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
1. Statement and Call to Action from AAPD on the 25th Anniversary of Olmstead v. LC
Jess Davidson, American Association of People with Disabilities - June 22, 2024
“Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson were at the heart of the Olmstead decision. In fact, many in the disability community have said we should call this decision the Curtis-Wilson decision, and we agree … Ultimately, their case reached the Supreme Court, and the Court declared that unjustifiable segregation and institutionalization of disabled people is unlawful discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Olmstead decision declared what disabled people have known and said for decades – every person has the right to self-direct their lives as much as possible, and institutionalization, no matter its form, is contrary to this goal.”
2. Celebrating 25 Years of the Olmstead Decision
The Arc - June 20, 2024
“The Supreme Court held that the ADA prohibits unjustified segregation of people with disabilities and that states must provide community-based services to people with disabilities when: such services are appropriate; the individuals do not oppose such services; and community-based services can be reasonably accommodated, considering governmental resources and the needs of others receiving disability services … For other important findings in the decision, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has a statement and technical assistance guide on the ADA’s Integration Mandate and the Olmstead decision.”
3. 25 years after their big win, states are still letting disabled people down
Dom Kelly, The Hill - June 20, 2024
“So as we mark 25 years since the Olmstead decision, the truth becomes clearer every day. Although this decision was monumental for the history of disability rights, the promise of autonomy and freedom from institutionalization remains unfulfilled … As a country, we can do better for disabled folks. They deserve better than institutional bias. We deserve the inherent right to live and thrive in our communities. Care workers, many of whom are disabled themselves, deserve a living wage so that they can provide the services that so many disabled folks need. Lawmakers need to step up and do better—no more excuses, no more inaction. The time for radical change is now.”
What more is there to say beyond these three pieces marking the Olmstead decision’s 25th anniversary? One thing is to note that in disability culture in the U.S., the name “Olmstead,” often cited without explanation, is the kind of reference or name-drop that’s ripe for misunderstanding. Is it a law? An act? A government agency or regulator? A disability rights icon of some kind? Lots of people know something about what “Olmstead” is, but are also kind of vague about exactly what it is, what it means, what it supposedly requires, and of whom.
Having said that, I’m not going to explain it here because these three articles together provide everything most people need to know about the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision. Just read the pieces. And then if you’re in a position to do so, take up the challenge they offer to fulfill the principles and mandates of the Olmstead affirmed.
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