September 11, 2026

Since its creation by Kansas Statute 74, Article 67 in 1975, the vision of the Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC) has been a Kansas where all people with disabilities are entitled to be equal citizens and equal partners in our society.

Championed by Kansas Senator Bob Dole and disability advocates across the nation, for nearly four decades, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has embodied a fundamental national commitment that disability should not be a basis for exclusion or diminished opportunity. States have worked with local and federal government partners since 1990 to implement both the letter and spirit of this much-celebrated, bipartisan law. On June 18, 2026, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a legal opinion that questions the longstanding legal framework surrounding the rights of Americans with disabilities to live with dignity, independence, and full community participation. On July 20, 2026, the DOJ declared that it will not rely on its own longstanding Olmstead guidance, which has been in effect since June 22, 2011.

For more than 25 years, the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. has built on the commitment of the ADA and reinforced the principle that people with disabilities should have the opportunity to live, work, receive services, and participate in their communities rather than being unnecessarily segregated in institutional settings. This is a principle Americans are proud of and is a Northstar internationally for people with disabilities as they fight for equal rights, access and services. This principle has changed lives and transformed this country.

Kansas spent decades investing in home and community-based services, expanding access to education and employment opportunities, and redesigning and strengthening community-based services. These efforts reflect not only our progress under federal civil rights law, but our shared conviction that people with disabilities belong in their communities—not hidden away in institutions.

We strongly oppose any federal actions that would weaken protections against unnecessary segregation or diminish the right of people with disabilities to receive services in the most integrated settings appropriate to meet their needs, consistent with established Olmstead precedent. Community integration is not an abstract legal concept. It means having a home, being able to work, attend school, shop, worship, build relationships, and participate in an ordinary civic life.

We stand united around the basic principle that people with disabilities are full members of our communities and should not be forced into segregation to receive the services and support they need. We stand ready to work with the current and future state and federal administrations, legislators, and agencies to strengthen community-based systems while preserving individual choice. We must ensure that our state and our nation continue moving toward greater independence, inclusion, and opportunity for all people with disabilities.

 

*Craig Knutson* | "Executive Director
"Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
*Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
*900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

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