DOJ memo questions disability rights protections, sparking fears of return to institutionalization
By
Cory Turner
4h ago· 8 min readenNews
Summary
The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel released a memo arguing that states are not required to provide in-home or community-based care to people with disabilities. This opinion challenges decades of civil rights protections that have treated institutionalization as a last resort for disabled Americans. Disability advocates and families have expressed fear and anger, viewing the memo as a potential step backward that could force many disabled individuals back into institutions rather than allowing them to live, learn, and work in their own communities.
Source
bskyDOJ memo questions disability rights protections, sparking fears of return to institutionalizationnpr.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledThe memo, an opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel, argues that states do not have to provide in-home or community-based care to people with disabilities who need support.
These services allow many disabled Americans to continue to live, learn and work at home or in their own communities, among family and friends.
The Justice Department released a memo this week that quietly calls into question decades of civil rights protections for Americans with disabilities and stirred fear and anger among advocates and families.
The Justice Department's opinion challenges civil rights protections that have long treated the institutionalization of disabled Americans as a last resort.
