2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the Olmstead decision, which was a legal ruling that determined that everyone has the equal right to choose where they live and how they participate in their communities. And for those with disabilities who need support in their day-to-day living, Olmstead established the right to have access to those services.

In this episode, four guests share their personal and professional knowledge of how Olmstead has prevailed or failed in the last 25 years. The episode features D’Arcy Rob, GCDD executive director, Charlie Miller, GCDD’s policy and advocacy director, Susan Goico, director of the Disability Integration Project at Atlanta Legal Aid, and Tais Keyser, a fierce Georgia mother on a mission to get disability services for her son while helping other parents in similar situations. Host Mara Waldruff guides the story through four chapters — the history of Olmstead, the positive impact it has had over time, the ways in which Olmstead has not come to fruition, and what can be done to spread hope and advocacy to increase its impact on the disability community.

00:30 Introduction: What is the Olmstead decision?

02:20 Chapter 1: The history of Olmstead

13:41 Chapter 2: The positive impact of Olmstead over time

17:43 Georgia’s rate study

22:25 Chapter 3: The ways in which Olmstead has not come to fruition

23:06 The problem with unmet need

31:26 The plight of a mother advocating for services

37:26 Chapter 4: What can be done to increase hope and advocacy?

46:24 Conclusion

The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is driven by its Five Year Plan (2017-2021) goals of education; employment; self-advocacy; Real Communities; and formal and informal supports. The Council, charged with creating systems change for individuals with developmental disabilities and family members, will work through various advocacy and capacity building activities to build a more interdependent, self-sufficient, and integrated and included disability community across Georgia.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2001GASCDD-03, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.