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Civil Rights Cases During The 20th Century

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Social Problem Olmstead vs. L.C., which is the case that led to the Olmstead Decision, is considered to be one of the most important civil rights cases during the 20th century (Zubritsky, Mullahy, Allen, & Alfano, 2006). The Olmstead Decision was put into place after two women with a diagnosis of mental illness and developmental disability were voluntarily placed in a psychiatric facility and remained institutionalized for years. Even after efforts made by the women’s staff members to move them into a community setting, they were not moved until the Supreme Court’s 1999 decision in the Olmstead case (Cashmore, 2014). Individuals with disabilities have a history of being isolated from the rest of society, a form of segregation that presents a major social problem. The Olmstead Decision defines segregation as settings that provide activities solely for people with disabilities, settings populated primarily by individuals who have a disability, and settings that have policies that hold back individuals with disabilities from engaging in community activities (U.S. Department of Justice). Containing individuals in an institution when they have the ability to live in the community, places severe restrictions on an individual’s ability to interact with the community. When individuals who could benefit from a community placement remain institutionalized, it causes a false perception that all people in institutions are unable to function in a community setting. The

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