[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 191 (Thursday, December 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S7066]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING LOIS CURTIS

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, last month, Lois Curtis, the lead 
plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C.--
which affirmed the rights of people with disabilities to live in their 
own communities--passed away from pancreatic cancer. Today, I join so 
many touched by Ms. Curtis' advocacy in mourning her passing, 
remembering her life, and paying tribute to the invaluable 
contributions she made to civil rights.
  Ms. Curtis, a Black woman with intellectual and mental health 
disabilities, spent her childhood and young adult life living in State 
institutions. But she wanted to get out of the institution she had been 
confined to and finally have the ability to live in her own community. 
So she took her case to court in 1995 and eventually became the lead 
plaintiff in Olmstead v. L.C., in which the Supreme Court ruled for the 
first time in 1999 that unjustified segregation of people with 
disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of the Americans 
with Disabilities Act.
  The landmark ruling established that people with disabilities have 
the right to receive the services and supports they need to live in 
their own communities, not just State institutions. Ms. Curtis' courage 
and refusal to accept the status quo helped propel the disability 
rights movement, made our country more just, and improved the lives of 
so many people with disabilities.
  After winning her case and gaining her independence, Ms. Curtis 
dedicated her life to advocacy work and became a renowned artist. In 
2011, she showcased her artwork in the White House for the anniversary 
of the Olmstead decision.
       Ms. Curtis' life's work improved the lives of so many 
     across our country. She will be remembered fondly.

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