Justice Department Marks Olmstead Anniversary

June 22 marked the 24th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C., a landmark disability decision in which the Court determined the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities. To commemorate the occasion, the U.S. Department of Justice highlighted recent work in two areas, “securing community-based crisis services to prevent needless hospitalization and criminal justice involvement, and securing community-based services that enable children with disabilities to live with their families and go to school with non-disabled peers.” Specific actions include enabling children to live at home and go to school with their non-disabled peers as illustrated by six examples including a decision that prevents the Florida from violating the civil rights of children with medical complexities and the unnecessary institutionalization and segregation of children with behavioral health disabilities in Maine, Alaska, Nevada, and West Virginia.

View a statement from the Justice Department here.