Dear Community Leaders and Supporters,
The Arc Minnesota is a nonprofit organization devoted since 1950 to the promotion and protection of the human rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Throughout the years, this mission has manifested itself through various initiatives focused on working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and those who work to support them in accessing necessary services, building autonomy, and developing as leaders in their communities.
The Arc Minnesota would like to express its sincere concern over the federal case Texas v. Kennedy. If successful, this lawsuit targeting the integration mandate in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), would be a devastating blow to people with disabilities. We urge your defense of Section 504, one of the longest established disability civil rights laws in this country.
The nine states involved in this lawsuit claim that the integration mandate in Section 504 is unconstitutional, but The Arc Minnesota strongly disagrees. Through more than 75 years of working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, we have seen that individuals lead more fulfilling lives when they are supported to live, work, and participate in their communities. If successful, Texas v. Kennedy would place disabled people at risk by making it easier to return to segregated settings away from their families and support networks.
Removing the integration mandate would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Olmstead decision, both of which require services to be provided in the most integrated setting possible. These protections exist to prevent people with disabilities from being isolated in institutions.
For much of the twentieth century, thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were confined to large, remote facilities where many faced unsafe conditions, loss of privacy and choice, and neglect or abuse. This era represents one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s treatment of people with disabilities—one that Texas v. Kennedy threatens to bring back.
Sincerely,
Naveh Eldar, Chief Executive Officer
The Arc Minnesota
For press requests, please contact Angie Tesch, Director of Marketing & Communications: AngieTesch@ArcMinnesota.Org.