Brown v. District of Columbia
State: District of Columbia
Filed: 2018 and 2026
Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Overview:
The 2018 brief supported a class of plaintiffs with physical disabilities seeking transition services from institutional to community-based living in DC. The brief argued that transition services are vital to realize the promise of the ADA and that courts around the country have imposed binding obligations for effective transition services for people with disabilities and monitoring compliance for actual improvement.
The 2026 brief supported that same class of plaintiffs. Following a lengthy trial before the district court, the brief argues that the District of Columbia violated the ADA when it failed to provide people with disabilities informed choice, effective outreach, and transition services that allow them to exercise their right to live in the community. The brief also argues that the District also failed to provide a sufficient array of community-based services.
2018 Excerpt: “The ADA culminated decades of effort to end the discrimination faced by more than 54,000,000 Americans with disabilities. The Act mandates that people with disabilities have equal access to the basic institutions of government and participation in society. . .And yet, even with housing and community service providers offering improved access to the community, the goals of the ADA remain elusive without effective transition services guiding individuals out of institutional settings and into their communities.”
2026 Excerpt: “After a lengthy trial, the district court correctly held that the District of Columbia (“District”) violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide informed choice, effective outreach, and transition assistance to nursing facility residents who may want to move to the community. . .Adequate informed choice, effective transition assistance and outreach, and a sufficient capacity of community-based long-term care services are necessary to ensure that institutionalized persons with disabilities can meaningfully exercise their right to choose to live in the community. . . States must also provide a sufficient array of community services as part of their duty to provide services in the most integrated setting.”
