Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Federal Policy Olmstead topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
ADA coordinator says DOJ move on Olmstead raises institutionalization concerns; commission urged public to contact lawmakers
Summary
During the commission's ADA report, the ADA coordinator said the Department of Justice signaled it may reverse aspects of the Olmstead interpretation, warning this could increase institutionalization of people with disabilities and urging members to contact federal representatives.
During the commission's ADA coordinator report, the coordinator (speaker 3) said the Department of Justice recently signaled it may not follow the Olmstead Supreme Court interpretation, and described the prospect as dangerous for people with disabilities.
"The Department of Justice yesterday said that they were going to put people back into institutions," the ADA coordinator said, urging attendees to contact their federal legislators. The coordinator called the change "outrageous" and described it as a matter that "is getting life or death," based on personal observations and experience shared during the report.
The coordinator also warned that shifting oversight of education into a medical model — reported in the same segment as an administrative change — could reduce person-centered decision-making for students with disabilities. The coordinator said the issue is likely to be litigated and recommended constituent outreach to federal representatives.
A member (speaker 5) described personal experience with long-term care and said community long-term services could not meet needed supports, leading some people into institutional care and Medicaid enrollment. The commission did not take any formal action on the federal policy claims during the meeting; the coordinator framed the report as a call to civic engagement and potential court action rather than a local policy change.
The commission's discussion of this federal development was part of the ADA coordinator's wider report on national policy context and local implications; members recorded the concern and advised outreach to federal representatives as the immediate step.
