USCCB and Catholic groups send joint letter to Congress

Catholic leaders sent a joint letter to Congress on October 14 calling for the protection of disability rights following new guidance from the Department of Justice. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and four other Catholic organizations urged lawmakers to affirm that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires states and local governments to provide services within communities rather than in institutions.

The leaders described a June slip opinion from the Department of Justice as deeply troubling because it suggests that neither the Rehabilitation Act nor the Americans with Disabilities Act requires states to provide services in integrated settings. This guidance potentially lowers the threshold for institutionalizing persons with disabilities. The Department of Justice noted in its opinion that its view may be out of step with how federal courts commonly understand the 1999 Supreme Court ruling in Olmstead v. LC, which established the right to receive care in integrated settings.

The letter was signed by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Bishop Edward J. Burns of Dallas, and Sister Mary Haddad, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. The group urged Congress to ensure persons living with disabilities can flourish within their families and communities.