Olmstead Decision Explained

June 22nd is the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead decision! In Olmstead vs. Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, the Court held that people with disabilities have the civil right to choose state-funded services in the community in the least restrictive setting possible, rather than in institutions. Up until the 1990s, people with disabilities had been actively advocating for equal rights to housing, education, and work. They had been denied these basic rights and were kept segregated and isolated from society in places like nursing homes or institutions. This created an institutional bias, a bias that disadvantaged people with disabilities, limiting their access to jobs, education, and life outside those doors. The Olmstead ruling sought to end the segregation of people with disabilities and provide them with the autonomy to make their own decisions. Although it has been two decades since the Court issued its decision in the Olmstead case, there is still much more advocacy and education needed to fully achieve integration and representation across all aspects of life for people with disabilities. This Saturday, we celebrate the decision’s legacy, how far we have come, the tireless efforts of the activists who fought before us, and the work still left to accomplish. In partnership with Rooted in Rights, we present a video conveying the experience of people with disabilities before and after the historical Olmstead case. Learn more about Olmstead and your rights in an institution on our website: www.DisabilityRightsFlorida.org Contact Information: Phone Numbers 800-342-0823 Toll Free 850-488-9071 850-488-8640 Fax Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) 800-346-4127 Mail Disability Rights Florida 2473 Care Drive, Suite 200 Tallahassee, Florida 32308 Online Visit our Requesting Assistance page to use an online form to request information, assistance, publications, and other services: https://bit.ly/3JJDCX8 Visit our website: DisabilityRightsFlorida.org Follow us! Facebook: https://bit.ly/3kerrZT Twitter: https://bit.ly/3hx83Rf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3vYNVR7 LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3CJgbej Check out our media: Podcast: https://bit.ly/2ZRdCny Blog: https://bit.ly/3fW68Fk News: https://bit.ly/3CKhY2D Our Legal Work: https://bit.ly/3tx6JFV Publications: https://bit.ly/3ZqH9RL Subscribe to our podcast! Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3KH9N8w Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3e5xvOR Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3P1W936 Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3IJFEIv Stitcher: https://bit.ly/3yhd2AP Join our newsletter! Sign up today: https://bit.ly/3g9KtPa Donate to Disability Rights Florida: Donate on our website: https://bit.ly/3XJpYt5