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Bend staff flags DOJ memo on Olmstead as a potential threat to community‑based services; local surveys and accessibility issues noted
Summary
Staff warned KOAC about a recent U.S. Department of Justice memo that questions the enforceability of the Olmstead decision and could threaten community integration for people with disabilities. The manager also noted Transportation Safety Action Plan materials, local survey links, and accessibility concerns observed at the World Cup events and in transport and device handling.
Cassandra, Bend’s accessibility and equity staff, used the committee’s June 25 meeting to flag a federal policy development she described as potentially consequential for people with disabilities.
Cassandra said a recent Department of Justice memo questioned the enforceability of the Olmstead decision, the 1999 Supreme Court precedent that affirmed a right for people with disabilities to be served in the most integrated setting possible. She summarized reactions from disability advocates and civil‑rights groups, including statements from the American Association of People with Disabilities and the ACLU, and stressed the practical stakes: reduced community‑based services could force people into institutional settings with negative outcomes. "The memo ... questions decades of protections for Americans with disabilities," she said, adding that local advocates and committees should track developments closely.
On local planning, Cassandra said KOAC members would receive the Transportation Safety Action Plan materials (existing conditions, executive summary and engagement summary) via email soon. Staff will analyze top crash locations, combine that analysis with public input from a recent survey, and return with detailed recommendations.
Cassandra also shared outreach items and real‑time accessibility concerns observed at recent World Cup events, including changes to companion‑ticket practices, parking and transportation costs, water policies inside venues and challenges with on‑demand ride services, as well as reports that mobility devices have been damaged in air travel. She encouraged KOAC members to complete and circulate two surveys (Disability Rights Oregon; Central Oregon Disability Support Network) and said staff would distribute QR codes and links by email.
What happens next: staff will share the Transportation Safety Action Plan documents, distribute the surveys, and keep KOAC apprised of any developments regarding the DOJ memo and its implications.
