Justice Dept Memo Challenges Olmstead | Albany News

A new DOJ memo is sparking outrage in the disability rights community by seemingly undermining the Olmstead decision, which guaranteed the right to live in integrated community settings. The memo questions whether states must provide services in the most integrated setting for people with mental disabilities, raising fears of a rollback in decades of progress. Activists like Bryan O’Malley are calling it a dangerous shift, while New York officials say state laws already uphold Olmstead. In response, O’Malley’s group is backing the bipartisan Latonya Reeves Freedom Act, which would codify the right to community living and prioritize individual choice over clinician judgment — a legislative shield against what critics see as a troubling trend in federal legal interpretation. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/e95de7b2aca540ce