Statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius On the 10th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Decision Olmstead v. L.C.M

From the Department of Health and Human Services Press Office, June 2009.

HHS joins President Obama in commemorating a significant anniversary in the civil rights movement for persons with disabilities. Ten years ago today, the United States Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. recognizing that "unjustified institutional isolation of persons with disabilities is a form of discrimination" under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To underscore the importance of the Olmstead decision and continue to affirm our commitment to addressing isolation and discrimination against people with disabilities that still exists today, President Obama has designated this as a "Year of Community Living." I recognize that to put an end to injustice and carry the directive of the Olmstead decision into all programs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), we must create new partnerships. And so, today, we invite all of our public and private partners -- other federal agencies, states, consumers, advocates, providers and others to join us in embracing the Supreme Court's vision of equal opportunity and an end to unjustified institutionalization for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses and older Americans.

To begin this "Year of Community Living," agencies within my department will undertake the task of aggressively addressing barriers that prevent some Americans with disabilities from enjoying a meaningful life as part of their community. I have asked the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office for Civil Rights, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to form a HHS Coordinating Council, which will be led by the Office on Disability. These agencies, with the support of the department, will work together to put in place solutions that address barriers to community living for individuals with disabilities and to give people more control over their lives and the supports they need.