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The Only Safe Institution is an Empty One
Thursday, December 18th, 2008 04:41 pmDisability-rights advocates hate institutions. Their high walls and one-way doors nurture a culture of sexual, physical and mental abuse. The most important Supreme Court ruling so far on the Americans with Disabilities Act has been Olmstead v L.C., which held that sentencing people with disabilities to institutions when they could live in the community constituted discrimination.
Almost ten years later, states are still fighting to keep large institutions open (and advocates are still suing to switch spending from supporting institutions to supporting people living in the community). As always, civil rights laws never automatically mean discrimination is over: it only gives us the legal standing to sue.
Today my invaluable Inclusion Daily Express brought news of excellent political theater necessitated by the State of Texas' refusal to implement the Olmstead decision.
As the Inclusion Daily Express Archives show: Texas Houses Largest Number Of Americans Behind Institution Walls
( Shouting 'Fifty-three murders on your watch!' and 'People are dying, shame on you!' the group of about 20 protesters interrupted the meeting. They waved signs and emptied a bag of 53 toy watches, painted red, on the floor near the panel. )
Almost ten years later, states are still fighting to keep large institutions open (and advocates are still suing to switch spending from supporting institutions to supporting people living in the community). As always, civil rights laws never automatically mean discrimination is over: it only gives us the legal standing to sue.
Today my invaluable Inclusion Daily Express brought news of excellent political theater necessitated by the State of Texas' refusal to implement the Olmstead decision.
As the Inclusion Daily Express Archives show: Texas Houses Largest Number Of Americans Behind Institution Walls
( Shouting 'Fifty-three murders on your watch!' and 'People are dying, shame on you!' the group of about 20 protesters interrupted the meeting. They waved signs and emptied a bag of 53 toy watches, painted red, on the floor near the panel. )
