A Country That Cares Thrives: The Choice Is Ours
- CG Judd
- Jun 9
- 4 min read
Recently Reverend William Barber II, an activist for a moral revolution in this country, has been protesting Medicaid cuts with the help of ADAPT, a well-respected grassroots disability rights organization that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities. ADAPT was co-founded in 1978 by Wade Blake and Mike Auberger.
ADAPT builds a community that champions neurodivergent rights in many ways. Their slogan on the ADAPT.org website states that “disability rights are civil rights.” They protest to protect neurodivergent people from harm and abuse while also helping neurodivergent people receive support services in their own homes. The ADAPT website advocates programs that allow neurodivergent people to “live in our homes, not nursing homes.”
Neurodivergent civil rights have been pursued since the Victorian times when some neurodivergent people didn't have access to support services and were placed in institutions which caused numerous civil rights violations. At that time in history many neurodivergent people were seen as dangerous and were misunderstood. The thought was that it was best for society if they were locked away.
This way of thinking lasted until neurodivergent civil rights groups like ADAPT protested to have neurodivergent people be able to live in their own communities with support services, including home care. Care at home allowed neurodivergent people to follow their passions, and to have jobs that made them happy. This gave them a much greater degree of independence. Among others, spellers, also known as non-speakers, and individuals with Cerebral Palsy can be valuable contributing members of society, if they can live in a positive, home-based environment.
In 1999 the “Olmstead Bill” was passed after the Supreme Court ruled that the “unjustified segregation of people with disabilities is a form of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).” It requires that states provide community-based services to individuals with disabilities when appropriate, desired, and reasonably accommodated.”
The Olmsted Bill was inspired by Lois Curtis and her friend Elaine Wilson, both women with disabilities. Lois Curtis was diagnosed with schizophrenia and intellectual developmental disabilities. Lois had behavioral problems that her parents did not know how to handle so she was placed in an institution from age 11 into her early 20s.
Lois could have had her needs met in her community and own home. Instead, she cried in bed every night praying to God because the people in the institution did not know how to treat people like her. She was heavily drugged which made her feel even worse.
Lois reached out to an Atlanta legal aid society to help her leave the institution. She knew she would be happier and do better getting the support she needed in her own apartment. With her lawyer’s help, they were able to win the court case and get the Olmstead Bill passed. Elaine Wilson, who was also institutionalized for developmental disabilities because of brain damage at birth, was a plaintiff in the case.
After the bill was passed Lois and Elaine were able to leave the institutions for good. Lois was able to live in her community and have home support services which included a professional aid and a person who met with her weekly to help her with goals and personal needs.
The Olmstead Bill is a federal mandate that requires that all neurodiverse people have the right to access community support services in their home through Medicaid. This made Lois a happier, more productive, and more fulfilled person.
Eventually, she even became a successful, self-taught visual artist. Her portraits are displayed in many galleries in Georgia. She met with President Obama in 2011. She also enjoyed singing and songwriting.
Because of the Olmstead Decision, people like Lois and Elaine gained the right to receive state-funded support in their homes, costing much less than institutions.
Like Lois, Elaine Wilson was also able to leave the institution and live a happy life. Lois passed away from pancreatic cancer at age 55, but her art and what she did for the neurodiverse community will always live on.
Another neurodivergent civil rights effort starting in the 2000s was the Stop the Shock movement. While protesting on the steps of the Capitol, ADAPT saw how important the Stop the Shock movement was in helping neurodiverse children learn in a safe environment, free of abuse.
For neurodiverse people, receiving home care and support services allows them to pursue their passions, makes them feel good about themselves, and allows them to contribute to society.
We must decide as a country if taking care of people and helping them thrive is important to us. If we choose to be a compassionate society, it will make society a better place generating new ideas and solutions to problems that have not been thought of before. We only get that if we allow neurodiverse people to have what they need to blossom.
I hope, as a country, that we decide everyone deserves to have their needs met in the best ways for them. When everyone can thrive, everyone benefits.
Let’s allow everyone to show their unique gifts and talents, to shine and succeed. Everyone deserves to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, including neurodivergent people!
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