Big News: Olmstead Challenge to Sheltered Workshops Filed in Oregon

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The United Cerebral Palsy Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington along with eight individuals representing thousands of Oregonians with intellectual or physical disabilities filed a class action lawsuit Wednesday against Gov. John Kitzhaber and top managers at the Department of Human Services.

Advocates hope the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Portland, will set a national precedent and end the practice of having people with disabilities to spend their days in "sheltered workshops," where they complete repetitive or rote tasks for a sub-minimum wage and without the opportunity for training or advancement.

At any given time, according to the lawsuit, more than 2,300 Oregonians are "stuck in long-term, dead-end, facility based sheltered workshops that offer virtually no interaction with non-disabled peers."

More coverage here.