The Kansas Association of Centers for Independent Living (KACIL), which RCIL is a member of,  is celebrating the 12^th Anniversary of the Olmstead Supreme Court decision Wednesday, June 22 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

Twelve years ago, the United States Supreme Court rejected the state of Georgia’s appeal to enforce institutionalization of individuals with disabilities and affirmed the right of individuals with disabilities to live in their community in its 6-3 ruling against the state of Georgia in the case Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W. The Olmstead Decision gave people with disabilities the tools necessary to demand what is rightfully theirs—the right to live independently in their community. The Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the lower courts that Georgia had violated the integration mandate under Title II of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which states that states must develop comprehensive plans to end unnecessary institutionalization at a “reasonable place” with the goal of integrating individuals with disabilities into mainstream society to the fullest extent possible. As part of the preparation for the anniversary celebration in Kansas, KACIL members have asked Governor Brownback for Kansas’s Olmstead plan. 

The celebration will include refreshments and information about the independent living movement in Kansas as well as testimonies from individuals who have been impacted by the Olmstead decision.

Please come out to this great event and support independent living in Kansas!