Lois Curtis was one of two plaintiffs in the landmark disability civil rights decision Olmstead v. L.C. She was also an artist and advocate.
Lois was institutionalized in Georgia at a young age due to cognitive and developmental disabilities and schizophrenia. She fought for nearly two decades to get out of Georgia Regional Hospital (GRH).
Lois Curtis was held at GRH for years (even though her treatment team said she was able to live in the community) because the state did not want to provide the funds for the support Lois needed to live independently.
Lois finally was able to sue for her freedom in 1995. In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that GRH violated Lois' civil rights by segregating her in an institution when she could and wanted to live in the community. This ruling set the legal precedence for disabled people seeking to live in the community instead of institutions.
Once she was out of GRH, Lois Curtis was a tireless advocate for disability justice. She believed, in the words of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, "Nobody's free until we are all free." Lois loved to paint, especially portraits.
Lois passed away from pancreatic cancer on November 3, 2022.
ID: Lois Curtis, a Black woman, sits at a table. She is leaning forward on the table, smiling as if someone just told her good news. There are two white male-presenting people sitting behind her.
Pic credit: NPR
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