History Note
Each month of 2007,
Access Press will feature an important person or persons in disability
history: local, regional or national
Minnesota Disability Law
Center
"Working towards justice for all."
In 1972, the Legal Aid Society
filed a lawsuit, Welsch v. Likins, to secure appropriate treatment
and community placement for people with developmental disabilities
living in large state hospitals. The following year the federal government
funded a tiny pilot project at Legal Aid to continue this work, staffed
by one attorney and a legal assistant. As Congress became aware that
people with intellectual disabilities were living in dreadful conditions
throughout the nation, in 1975 it created the Protection and Advocacy system
to fund advocacy in every state. Legal Aid was designated as the Protection and
Advocacy system for Minnesota.
Over the next thirty-two years the disability rights movement gained
power, people with disabilities moved from institutions into the
community and public awareness of disability issues increased. Congress
gradually expanded the scope of Protection and Advocacy responsibilities
to include civil advocacy for people with all types of disability
living in any type of setting. Today Legal Aid carries out its Protection
and Advocacy work through the Minnesota Disability Law Center, with
a dedicated staff of 14 attorneys and 7 advocates located in six
branch offices throughout the state.
Our work this year reflected
the broad scope of our clients’ needs.
The abuse, neglect and community placement issues that led to our
creation so many years ago remain at the core of our mission, although
now our clients have a range of disabilities and often live in nursing
facilities since most large state institutions have been closed.
We have continued our successful battle to ensure access for people
with disabilities in a wide range of community settings, including
hospitals, courts, and commercial environments, litigating when necessary.
Our younger clients have included many students with special education
needs across the state, including students in rural Minnesota who
have the benefit of a Northern Advocates Network lead by MDLC staff.
Our voting rights project has continued to ensure that citizens with
disabilities are enfranchised and informed. We look forward to continuing
this work on behalf of Minnesotans with disabilities in the coming
year. ![]()
Source: MDLC
