For more than 25 years, the landmark Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C. has protected the rights of people with disabilities to live in their communities rather than being unnecessarily placed in institutions.

In June 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a concerning memo, changing how the federal government could interpret and enforce Olmstead.

While this opinion does not change any laws, it could weaken federal enforcement of the right to community living.

In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court issued their decision in Olmstead v. L.C., one of the most important disability rights cases in our nation’s history.

The case involved two women with disabilities, Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, who remained in a state psychiatric hospital even though medical professionals agreed they could successfully live in the community with the appropriate supports.

The Supreme Court ruled that unnecessary institutionalization is discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Court held that people with disabilities have the right to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their individual needs when:

• Community-based services are appropriate.
• The person wants to receive services in the community.
• Community placement can be reasonably accommodated.

This decision became known as the Olmstead Decision and has guided disability rights policy for more than two decades.

Before Olmstead, many people with disabilities spent years, or even their entire lives, in institutions, nursing facilities, or other segregated settings. The Olmstead decision helped affirm that people with disabilities have the same right as everyone else to live and participate in their communities.

Since 1999, Olmstead has helped:

• Expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS).
• Reduce unnecessary institutionalization.
• Support independent and supported living.
• Increase opportunities for competitive integrated employment.
• Promote inclusion in schools and communities.
• Protect the civil rights of millions of people with disabilities.

Although the Olmstead decision has been crucial for protecting the rights of people with disabilities to be integrated in their communities, other factors such as workforce shortages and funding issues persist, often making it hard for people to access community living.