Fighting Segregation and Criminalization of People with Disabilities
Finally, the department continues to prioritize enforcement of the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C., a landmark case ruling that the ADA prohibits unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities. The department’s enforcement of Olmstead has enabled thousands of people with disabilities to live in their homes and communities instead of in institutions. For example:
- In June, the department issued a letter finding that Maine unnecessarily institutionalizes children with mental health or intellectual and developmental disabilities in psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment facilities and a juvenile justice facility. In March, the department issued a letter finding that Colorado unnecessarily segregates adults with physical disabilities in nursing homes.
- The department also launched statewide Olmstead investigations in response to complaints. In May, the department opened an investigation into whether Kentucky unnecessarily segregates people with serious mental illness in the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro area in psychiatric hospitals and places them at risk of law enforcement encounters. The department is also investigating the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and the Louisville Metro Police Department concerning their systems for responding to people experiencing behavioral health crises.
For more information about the ADA, please visit ada.gov or call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383). For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit justice.gov/crt.
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