Media Contact: Mat McCollough (202) 727-6744
“The Olmstead ruling was a critical step forward for our nation, articulating one of the most fundamental rights of Americans with disabilities: Having the choice to live independently” – President Barack Obama (June 22, 2009).
The DC Office of Disability Rights (ODR) recognizes and embraces the 10th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in the 1999 case of Olmstead v. L.C. In the Olmstead case, the Court held that the unjustified institutional isolation of people with disabilities is a form of unlawful discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The decision required individual states to institute a comprehensive, effectively working plan for placing individuals with disabilities in less restrictive settings while maximizing the choices and opportunities for those individuals to receive long-term services and supports in integrated community settings.
DC: One Community for All is the District of Columbia’s response to the 1999 Olmstead directive. Since May 2008, ODR has worked tirelessly to develop a collaborative and comprehensive document addressing the needs of the District’s citizens with disabilities. ODR has worked with consumers, their families, caretakers, not-for-profit agencies, advocacy organizations, and District of Columbia agencies in order to develop best practices in ensuring citizens’ safe integration into the community. In 2009, DC: One Community for All was released for a public comment period where feedback was encouraged and actively recruited in order to ensure active participation among those who are involved. As a result of this valuable feedback, DC: One Community for All outlines a blueprint for each agency involved in the development of a specialized plan that addresses the unique needs of their constituents.
In support of DC: One Community for All, several District agencies have partnered with ODR to eliminate the unnecessary institutionalization of DC residents with disabilities and increase the community-based services and supports to this population. The collaborative partners include: Department of Disability Services; Department of Mental Health; Office on Aging; Child and Family Services Agency; Office of the Superintendent of Education; Department of Corrections; Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services; DC Public Schools; Department of Human Services, and; Department of Health Care Finance. An integral part of this endeavor includes “secondary service agencies” that provide community services such as the Department of Health, Department of Employment Services, DC Housing Authority, Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
The finalized version of the DC: One Community for All plan is anticipated to be released by midsummer. Please visit ODR’s Olmstead Planning webpage (http://odr.dc.gov/odr/cwp/view,a,1386,q,575277.asp) to learn more about DC: One Community for All.