The recent rulings by the Supreme Court have advanced some of our causes, but unfortunately have set too many others back. We are grateful that in the case of Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County, Indiana (HHC) v. Talevski the Court affirmed the right of people with disabilities who reside in Medicare funded facilities can sue when they are unjustly denied care or benefits. We have frequently defended the importance of people being able to cast a ballot. And we are pleased that the court ruled in Allen v. Milligan that districts so heavily gerrymandered that they dilute votes to meaninglessness are unlawful.
However, yesterday’s ruling on the two Affirmative Action in college admissions cases, upended decades of precedent and shut the door on countless students who have worked hard to overcome our country’s long history of putting up barriers against the success of people of color. This ruling coupled with today’s ruling in the case of President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, only serves to directly harm marginalized groups, particularly African Americans. Today’s denial of equal protection to members of the LGBTQ+ community is also very concerning. The Supreme Court’s ruling that businesses that are open to the public are allowed to refuse to provide services to same-sex couples on religious grounds also erodes equal protection under the law. In the past the Court has ruled that religious beliefs do not override one’s right to be treated equally under the law, and this ruling flies in the face of that principle and opens the door to a broad range of legal discrimination.
As proud advocates for the disability community we focus on inclusion and autonomy of decision making, but this term of the Court failed to live up to those standards.
