Olmstead Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the anniversary of the 1999 Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C.
The lead plaintiffs of the Olmstead decision were Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, two women with mental illness and developmental disabilities who were confined to a psychiatric unit at the Georgia Regional Hospital. Although mental health professionals deemed them ready to live in community-based programs, they remained institutionalized for several years. They filed a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to be released from the hospital.
On June 22, 1999, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision, Olmstead v. L.C. The ruling stated that segregating people with disabilities without a valid reason is discrimination and public entities must provide community-based services when appropriate.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Supreme Court Decision Olmstead v. L.C. 25 years ago, when Elaine Wilson and Lois Curtis advocated for – and won – their rights, they also reaffirmed the rights of disabled Americans everywhere, including people for generations to come. Their right to live in the most integrated setting possible came about thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the countless advocates who came before.
The Olmstead Implementation Office hosted the annual Olmstead Day celebration on Tuesday, June 25. The theme was disability advocacy, to celebrate Elaine Wilson and Lois Curtis. The event was emcee'd by Nikki Villavicencio, disability culture and leadership specialist at Advocating Change Together (ACT). The speakers for the day included Dr. Colleen Wieck of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, David Dively of the Minnesota Council on Disability, and advocate Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson.
