Represented by a team of lawyers (Pro Bono) and several nonprofits, a class of 6,600 developmentally disabled residents of state-owned facilities in Illinois will now be able to choose their own living arrangements.
The settlement is expected to bring Illinois in line with a national movement toward improving care for developmentally disabled citizens by shifting them from large residential institutions into smaller, community-based facilities.
Illinois' failure to join that trend prompted seven name plaintiffs to file suit against the state in July 2005.
According to the consent decree institutionalized individuals will undergo evaluations to gauge their desire for moving to different facilities. A "meaningful choice," will be provided to those individuals should they or their relatives desire a move.
Full Article and Source:
Sonnenschein Secures Pro Bono Class Action Victory for Disabled Clients
The settlement is expected to bring Illinois in line with a national movement toward improving care for developmentally disabled citizens by shifting them from large residential institutions into smaller, community-based facilities.
Illinois' failure to join that trend prompted seven name plaintiffs to file suit against the state in July 2005.
According to the consent decree institutionalized individuals will undergo evaluations to gauge their desire for moving to different facilities. A "meaningful choice," will be provided to those individuals should they or their relatives desire a move.
Full Article and Source:
Sonnenschein Secures Pro Bono Class Action Victory for Disabled Clients
6 comments:
Applause! Standing ovation!
And, more applause for the team of Pro Bono lawyers et al for giving these Americans a voice and for exposing business as usual in the state of .... Illinois.
I only wish the system allowed for a quicker settlement - 3 years is a very long time.
How many in the class of the original complainants did not live to see this victory?
Congratulations!
What a victory!!!
They surely must be on Cloud 9!
Illinois was forced via the courts to come out of the dark ages? Now, that is a step in the right direction.
Message to the lawyers et al who gave of themselves to a worthy cause and worked for FREE: Thank you! for a job well done.
I hope the team of pro bono attorneys will come across our organization and see the same need for victims of guardianship/conservatorship abuse.
Finally someone successfully standing up for nursing home victims!
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