While Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg may have been best known for her fight for gender equality, her heart and work extended far beyond and included a community at the center of our mission - people with disabilities.
In a landmark case in 1999, Justice Ginsburg played a significant role in a ruling that proved to be a major victory for our community. The verdict gave way to life-altering support services for those with disabilities in the form of group or community homes. Previously, the only alternative was an institutional facility.
As part of her ruling, Justice Ginsburg wrote:
"States are required to place persons with mental disabilities in community settings rather than in institutions when the State’s treatment professionals have determined that community placement is appropriate, the transfer from institutional care to a less restrictive setting is not opposed by the affected individual, and the placement can be reasonably accommodated, taking into account the resources available to the State and the needs of others with mental disabilities."
For this and so much more, we thank her and are forever grateful.
CLICK HERE to read more about the 1999 case - Olmstead v. L. C.