Economic Justice

Our celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month provides a chance to reflect on the progress achieved and the challenges that remain for people with disabilities around the country who can and want to work in the mainstream American economy.  In 1999, in Olmstead v. L.C., the Supreme Court ruled that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, “unjustified institutional isolation of persons with disabilities” constitutes discrimination, plain and simple.

For the last eight years, the Department of Justice has led vigorous Olmstead enforcement efforts to implement the Supreme Court’s community integration mandate.  Because of our Olmstead efforts over the past few years, today 10,500 people with disabilities will have meaningful access to integrated services and supports to assist them in securing jobs with competitive wages.

Work produces far more than a paycheck.  It affects our livelihood.  It is a springboard for economic self-sufficiency, personal growth and self-esteem.  Work also shapes how we spend our time, relate to our families and contribute to our community. 

During Justice Department investigations in Rhode Island and Oregon, we found people with disabilities stuck in sheltered workshops who were capable of, and wanted to, work in their communities.  As a result of our settlement agreements (Rhode Island and Oregon), with access to integrated employment services and supports, thousands of these people are on track to work in competitive, integrated jobs.