OLMSTEAD I2 YEARS

Obama Meets Plaintiff of Landmark Case

Pres. Barack Obama looks at a painting presented to him by artist Lois Curtis during her visit to the White House on the 12th anniversary of Olmstead v. L.C., the Supreme Court decision which requires states to administer services, programs and activities for people with disabilities in the most integrated setting.

Curtis, one of the plaintiffs in the landmark case, has a developmental disability and spent many years living in an institution, beginning at age 13. After a long struggle and with the help of Susan Jamieson, the Atlanta Legal Aid attorney who represented her and another plaintiff in the case, she was able to rent a home of her own and began a career as an artist after the decision in 1999.

She continues to live in Georgia, with the Medicaid waiver program providing for selfdirected services.

Curtis, center, visited the Oval Office with Janet Hill, left, and Jessica Long from the Georgia Department of Labor.

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