We stand with the many families impacted by cortical visual impairment (CVI) who rely every day on home and community-based supports and services to ensure their children and loved ones can learn, grow, and participate fully in community life. These services are not optional or supplemental - they are foundational to stability, development, and inclusion.
Against that reality, we strongly disagree with any interpretation of federal policy suggesting that Olmstead v. L.C. does not bind states or agencies in their obligations to provide services in the most integrated setting appropriate. The Supreme Court has been clear that unjustified segregation of people with disabilities constitutes discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That obligation is not discretionary, and it cannot be narrowed by administrative reinterpretation.
In addition, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act reinforces these protections for programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, further grounding the federal government’s responsibility to ensure that people with disabilities are not excluded from or unnecessarily isolated within public systems of care and education.
The right to live in the community is a fundamental right rooted in dignity, belonging, and self-determination. It means the ability to remain close to family and friends, to participate in everyday life, and to receive supports that are designed around individual needs rather than institutional convenience.
We call on federal and state leaders to reaffirm - not retreat from - the integration mandate and the longstanding civil rights protections that ensure people with disabilities can live and thrive in their communities.
Call to Action
This is the moment to make your voice heard.
We urge individuals, families, and advocates to contact their elected officials and demand strong protection of community-based services for people with disabilities, including those with cortical visual impairment (CVI). These services are essential to preventing unnecessary institutionalization and ensuring equal access to community life.
Contact both your federal and state legislators and tell them clearly:
- The Olmstead integration mandate must be fully upheld.
- Home and community-based services must be protected and expanded.
- Any efforts to weaken disability civil rights protections or restrict access to community-based care are unacceptable.
A quick way to take action is through the 5 Calls, which helps you identify your representatives and place calls in just a few minutes.
When we speak together, we can stop this roll back of rights.