Remembering Olmstead: The Long Road Home

Eleven years ago, a band of local activists came together to educate others in Georgia about the promises and accomplishments of the Olmstead vs L.C. decision. The US Supreme Court ruling, handed down on June 22, 1999, declared that segregating persons with disabilities was a form of discrimination that violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The group’s original concept was to stage a march from Milledgeville to the Georgia State Capitol as a way for those with developmental disabilities and their families and supporters to demonstrate the importance of the decision. The Long Road Home, as the event was dubbed, became an annual June event celebrating the connectivity of community.

Over the years, the event has shifted its focus to the challenges and the unmet promises the decision created.

“It’s ironic that Olmstead took place in the State of Georgia, but we still don’t have a plan in place to implement it,” said Cheri Mitchell, who chairs the campaign and nationwide celebrations. “So now we are more about bringing attention to the issues.” This year, seven states hosted events to commemorate and raise awareness of the landmark legislation.

In Georgia, gatherings took place in Atlanta, Bainbridge, Fitzgerald, Gainesville, Savannah, Tifton, Thomasville and Toccoa. There were walks, rallies and information sessions and in Atlanta, supporters staged a rally and mounted a display of works by artists with disabilities at the State Capitol on June 22.

No matter what form the event takes, Mitchell said there is always a key component: “We want to tell stories of how people with disabilities have gotten out of institutional settings and are living successfully in the community.”

The Long Road Home celebration was sponsored by People First of Atlanta, People First of Georgia, Georgia Advocacy Office, Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University, Atlanta Chapter of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, disABILITY LINK and the National Federation of Blind of Georgia.

For more details on the Long Road Home, visit peoplefirstofga.com.