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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Join Our Partner, The LEAD Center for A Webinar – Rising to the Occasion: ADA, Olmstead and State Efforts to Promote Integrated Employment of Individuals with Significant Disabilities

LEAD Center Logo - www.leadcenter.orgOne of the most historic legal decisions affecting the civil rights of people with disabilities celebrated its 15th anniversary on June 22nd. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered the landmark decision in the Olmstead v. L.C. case, requiring states to eliminate the segregation of people with disabilities and ensure people with disabilities receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.

The groundbreaking decision has not only helped plaintiff Lois Curtis of Georgia and thousands of people with disabilities leave institutions and live in the community, but also continues to be applied beyond community living to employment and other services and supports.  The recent settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the state of Rhode Island cited a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Olmstead in the segregation of people with disabilities through the state’s reliance on sheltered workshops and facility-based day programs.

To celebrate this landmark decision and reflect on the past, present and future of Olmstead, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, in coordination with the LEAD Center, will present “Rising to the Occasion: ADA, Olmstead and State Efforts to Promote Integrated Employment of Individuals with Significant Disabilities” on July 16, 2014 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. EDT. 

Confirmed panelists include:

  • Eve Hill, Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ)
  • Andrew McQuaide, Acting State Coordinator for the State of Rhode Island’s implementation of USDOJ Interim Settlement Agreement
  • Michelle Brophy, Director of Policy Implementation, State of Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Development Disabilities and Hospitals
  • Jennifer Mathis, Deputy Legal Director/Director of Programs, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
  • Lisa Mills, Subject Matter Expert, LEAD Center

Please note: Real time captioning will be provided for this webinar.

This webinar is presented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, in collaboration with the LEAD Center.