Community Living and Olmstead

Serving People with Disabilities in the Most Integrated Setting

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1999 landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. (Olmstead) found the unjustified segregation of people with disabilities is a form of unlawful discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) plays a pivotal role in supporting the Olmstead decision and promoting community living through enforcement of Federal disability civil rights laws. [More on Olmstead]

26th Anniversary of the Olmstead Decision

HHS and the Office for Civil Rights mark the 26th Anniversary of the Olmstead Supreme Court decision on June 22, 2025.

• June 23, 2025 Press Release
• OCR Director’s Blog

PHOTO: Alexis Ratcliff at the age of 17 on her way to her high school graduation.

Recent Developments

HHS Office for Civil Rights Works with Alabama to Help Young Adult with Autism Move from a State Institution to a Home in the Community

April 4, 2025 Press Release
Memorialization of Corrective Actions

HHS Office for Civil Rights works with South Carolina and an individual with a traumatic brain injury to help him move from a restrictive group home to an apartment with more opportunities for community integration - April 4, 2025

Memorialization of Corrective Actions

HHS Office for Civil Rights and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island Reach Agreement with the State of Rhode Island to Resolve Violations of Federal Disability Laws for Children with Disabilities in State Care

December 19, 2024 Press Release
Read the Consent Decree

HHS Office for Civil Rights Settles with Delaware to Enforce Federal Disability Rights Laws

December 18, 2024 Press Release
Memorialization of Corrective Actions

HHS Ensures States Provide Home and Community Based Services When Individuals with Disabilities are Unnecessarily Confined in State Institutions

November 18, 2024 Press Release
Read the Corrective Agreement

HHS Ensures Individuals with Disabilities Are Able to Live in Their Homes and Communities

June 18, 2024 Press Release
Corrective Action Agreement

HHS and Justice Issues a Violation Letter of Findings to State of R.I. Over Improper Over-Hospitalizations of Children with Disabilities - May 13, 2024

May 13, 2024 Press Release
Read the Letter of Findings

Related Content

Understanding Olmstead and Community Integration

Olmstead Success Stories

Final Rules related to Community Integration

Ensuring Health and Safety in Group Homes 

Resources from our Federal Partners