Rally in Vermont for Disabled Rights

Disabled Rights Rally in Vermont

MONTPELIER, Vermont -- A rally on July 23, 2001, drew attention to the rights of the disabled.

The rally in Montpelier was held to Demand Basic Independent Living Services in Place of Nursing homes, Institutions, and Forced Treatment Americans with Disabilities Act 1990.

Click here for more information.

The rally was a joint project of the Vermont Center for Independent Living, Green Mountain Self-Advocates, Green Mountain ADAPT, Vermont Psychiatric Surviors, and the Vermont Self-Determination Project.

The Olmstead Decision

The Olmstead Decision requires that all states must create a way to make sure that people get a choice to live in the most integrated setting. Vermont MUST develop a Community Integration Plan.

1. People must be told that they have options.

2. People in nursing homes, institutions and group homes must be told they have a right to live in the community.

3. There must be a timetable (waiting list) for getting people back into their communities.

Real choices and self-determination mean no more forced treatment, full accessibility and the right to funding for real community choices.

There were two women with disabilities in Georgia who lived in an institution. They wanted to live in the community. They believed their lives would be better in the community. They were denied the right to move, so they got a lawyer.

They looked at the Americans with Disabilities Act that says we ALL have the same rights. They believed that we all have the right to live in our community.

Taking it to court... They went all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court agreed! So did the federal government.

"The Olmstead Decision defines our mission... NO American should have to live in a nursing home or in a state institution if that individual can live in the community with the right mix of affordable supports... It's up to all of us to work together - and I mean together - to implement this ruling as quickly as possible." - Donna Shalala, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Things you can do to help!

Visit, call, or write Rep. Sanders,. Senators Leahy and Jeffords, or your local state legislators to ask them to support Olmstead.

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