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The Arc Celebrates CVS Health Commitment With Disability Leaders to Affordable and Equitable Access to Health Care

Yesterday, CVS Health announced the withdrawal of its appeal before the Supreme Court that sought to limit the scope of civil rights protections for people with disabilities under federal law. In collaboration with leaders of a number of national disability organizations, CVS Health will seek policy solutions to protect equitable access to health care for all Americans. We celebrate this victory for the disability rights community.

“Disability rights laws were enacted to provide comprehensive protections against discrimination—including unintentional conduct with discriminatory effects—and to ensure people with disabilities have meaningful access to public life. We are pleased that CVS Health came to the table with the disability community, listened, and acted to ensure the rights of people with disabilities continue to be enforced to the full extent of the law as they were intended,” said Shira Wakschlag, Senior Director of Legal Advocacy and General Counsel at The Arc.

The Arc was part of a large coalition of disability and civil rights organizations that filed an amicus brief in CVS V. Doe arguing that long-standing Supreme Court precedent makes clear that much discrimination against people with disabilities comes from “benign neglect” or thoughtlessness — and that removing the ability to get relief from such discrimination would undermine the purpose and history of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Along with a number of other organizations, The Arc also sent a letter to the CVS Board of Directors calling on the company to drop its Supreme Court appeal.