Disability News - June 20, 2026
Editor's Note: The disability community is increasingly preferring to use identity-first language (disabled person) in place of person-first language (person with a disability). This is because many in the community view disability as being a core component of identity, much like race and gender. Some members of the community, such as people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, still prefer person-first language. Both should be considered valid. Articles shared in this newsletter may contain one or the other (or both) depending on the author's preference, and if they themselves have a disability.
DOJ Memo Is Attempting to Turn Back the Clock on Integration and Olmstead’s Promise by Jess Davidson in a Press Release by the American Association of People with Disabilities on June 18, 2026
"Today, just days before the 27th anniversary of the landmark Olmstead v. LC decision, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) learned of an opinion memo from the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) urging the White House to turn back the clock by 30 years on disability integration and civil rights. The DOJ just gave the White House and other federal entities a green light to take disabled people back to a time when the state could, at any time, strip us of our homes, families, autonomy, and our lives."
DOJ Opinion on Olmstead Threatens the Right of People With Disabilities to Live in the Community by Jackie Dilworth on June 19, 2026 at The ARC
"For people with disabilities, this is about whether they can get services at home instead of being forced into a facility. It’s about whether children and adults with disabilities can stay connected to their family, friends, school, work, and community life. It’s about whether people have a meaningful way to protect their rights when a state or system says “no.” "
NCIL Statement Condemning and Rejecting the Department of Justice’s Memo Attempting to Undermine Disability Civil Right Press Release by the National Council on Independent Living on June 19, 2026
"The Independent Living Movement is grounded in the principle that people with disabilities have the right to self-determination, dignity, and full inclusion. We are not problems to be managed or hidden away. The Independent Living Network was established by and for people with disabilities to secure these rights and resist institutionalization and segregation in all its forms."
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