Political Quotes

“last month, Lois Curtis, the lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C.-- which affirmed the rights of people with disabilities to live in their own communities--passed away from pancreatic cancer. Today, I join so many touched by Ms. Curtis' advocacy in mourning her passing, remembering her life, and paying tribute to the invaluable contributions she made to civil rights. Ms. Curtis, a Black woman with intellectual and mental health disabilities, spent her childhood and young adult life living in State institutions. But she wanted to get out of the institution she had been confined to and finally have the ability to live in her own community. So she took her case to court in 1995 and eventually became the lead plaintiff in Olmstead v. L.C., in which the Supreme Court ruled for the first time in 1999 that unjustified segregation of people with disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The landmark ruling established that people with disabilities have the right to receive the services and supports they need to live in their own communities, not just State institutions. Ms. Curtis' courage and refusal to accept the status quo helped propel the disability rights movement, made our country more just, and improved the lives of so many people with disabilities. After winning her case and gaining her independence, Ms. Curtis dedicated her life to advocacy work and became a renowned artist.…”