As Those With Disabilities Suffer, Olmstead's Promise Is Unfulfilled

Washington State Representative Brendan Williams, D-22, has an interesting column on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's blog.

In the 1999 Olmstead decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that under the Americans with Disabilities Act a state is obligated to serve citizens with disabilities in the least-restrictive setting appropriate to care needs.
Writing for the Court, Justice Ginsburg rebuked "unwarranted assumptions" that persons with disabilities "are incapable or unworthy of participating in community life."
As a pioneering state in developing home-and-community-based long-term care options, Washington was ahead of this landmark ruling. Yet the response to the current budget crisis, particularly, shows Olmstead's promise is unfulfilled.