DOJ memo questions disability rights protections, sparking fears of forced institutionalization
By
Cory Turner
2h 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, challenging decades of civil rights protections. Disability advocates and families fear this could lead to a return to institutionalization, reversing the long-standing principle that institutional care should be a last resort. The memo has sparked anger and concern among disability rights groups who see it as a fundamental threat to the independence and community integration of disabled Americans.
Source
bskyDOJ memo questions disability rights protections, sparking fears of forced institutionalizationwfdd.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledIt is now the position of the Un
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 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.
The Justice Department's opinion challenges civil rights protections that have long treated the institutionalization of disabled Americans as a last resort.
