In honor of Black History Month, we’re shining a light on Black disability advocates in history — this time, it’s the lead plaintiff who successfully sued for more rights for disabled people.
As Relay Resources prepares for our upcoming 75th Anniversary Celebration event in April, we’ve been reflecting on historical events and leaders that have shaped the disability rights movement.
This month for Black History Month — a time to honor the rich cultural heritage, significant contributions, and enduring resilience of Black disabled leaders and communities — we are spotlighting some of the Black leaders who have positively impacted the fight for disabled rights, paving the way for organizations like Relay Resources.
One such leader is Lois Curtis, born with cognitive and developmental disabilities in 1967, who lived much of her young life in institutions and hospitals. At age 27 she was the lead plaintiff in the Olmstead v. L.C. lawsuit against the state of Georgia, which argued that unnecessarily forcing people with disabilities to live in institutions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In 1999, the court decided in Curtis’ favor, stating that people with disabilities have the right to live in settings that are unrestrictive, and striking a major victory for the future of disability rights.
Growing up,Curtis’s developmental and cognitive disabilities interrupted her schooling and caused her to run away from home often as a child. Calls from her mother to the police would result in Curtis being taken to jail or mental health hospitals. As a preteen, she eventually started living full-time at institutions like the Georgia Regional Hospital.
At age 19, Curtis was regularly expressing her desire to live in the community and her unhappiness with living in facilities. She began calling the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, asking for their help to get her moved from an institutional setting; this eventually led to that organization helping Curtis file a lawsuit against the state of Georgia, which eventually moved to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Curtis, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg writing that institutionalizing people who are able to live in communities reinforces beliefs that they are “incapable or unworthy of participating in community life.”
The verdict changed the way that services are provided to people with disabilities, from providing care in institutions to supporting disabled people to live in the community. The ruling called for governments at the state and local levels to develop and provide more opportunities and services for disabled people — and this valuable effort is still continuing today.
After living almost 20 years in institutions, Curtis was able to live independently after the verdict, eventually moving to an apartment with support systems like an aide and others looking out for her needs.
She continued to create visual art, exhibiting her work in galleries in Georgia; in 2011, Curtis presented a self-portrait to President Barack Obama. In an interview with Lee Sanders in 2014, Curtis described her life: “Well, I make grits, eggs, and sausage in the morning and sweep the floor. I go out to eat sometimes. I take art classes. I draw pretty pictures and make money. I go out of town and sell me artwork… I feel good about myself. My life [is] a better life.”
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza (Public Domain)
Lois Curtis died in 2022 at age 55 due to pancreatic cancer, but her advocacy efforts continue to live on today. Relay Resources couldn’t do the work we do today without the brave efforts of activists like Curtis.
Relay Resources was founded by a group of dedicated parents in 1951 — decades prior to Curtis’ landmark case — who didn’t accept sending their children to institutions, but instead saw their children’s strengths while living amongst their community. They were pioneers in their own right, innovating before laws like the one Lois fought for eventually changed.
As Relay Resources continues our efforts to advance disability inclusion in the workplace and the community, our team and our employees regularly reflect on the work of people like Lois Curtis who fought hard for disabled people to have more rights.
Today we celebrate pioneers like Curtis, and the dedicated parents who founded Relay. We know how much things have changed in the 75 years since our organization was launched, and yet there is still so much work ahead of us to truly create spaces of belonging for disabled people. Lois Curtis and other disability pioneers fought for disability justice — and to shape our world, paving the way for future inclusion and belonging for all disabled people. Leaders like this, just like the team at Relay Resources, understood that all disabled people belong everywhere, and that a more inclusive world is a better world.