A Message from Commissioner Baer About the U.S. Department of Jus...

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We should all be deeply alarmed and profoundly disappointed by the U.S. Department of Justice’s opinion issued last week that seeks to narrow the scope of protections afforded under Olmstead v L.C., one of the most significant civil rights decisions for people with disabilities in our nation’s history.

The promise of Olmstead is clear: people with disabilities have the right to live, work, and participate fully in their communities. For more than a quarter of a century, that promise has guided states, advocates, families, and self-advocates in advancing opportunities for people with disabilities to live lives of dignity, independence, and inclusion.

In New York, we understand what is at stake. The painful history of Willowbrook State School, shuttered nearly 40 years ago, remains a powerful reminder of the consequences of segregation and exclusion of people with developmental disabilities. New York’s decades-long effort to build community-based supports and services was born from the recognition that people with disabilities are entitled to the same freedoms, choices, and opportunities as everyone else.

Community integration is not a privilege or based on convenience; it is a civil right that New York will continue to fiercely protect. Anything less represents a shameful and troubling step backward.  

New York remains unwavering in its commitment to the values embodied in Olmstead and will continue to champion self-determination, expand opportunities for community living, and work alongside people with disabilities, families, advocates, providers, and our government partners to ensure that every person has the opportunity to lead a life of meaning, connection, and purpose in the community of their choosing. 

In Solidarity,

Willow Baer
Commissioner