If the church doesn’t rise up for the disabled, who will?

(RNS) — We are watching systems designed to care for our nation’s most vulnerable begin to shrink.

On June 18, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel issued a memorandum threatening the Olmstead v. L.C . decision, the 1999 ruling protecting the right of people with disabilities to live in their communities. The slip opinion is “ inconsistent with long-standing interpretations of federal disability rights law embraced by courts and administrations of both parties.” The U.S. Department of Education also announced recently that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education and rehabilitative services, while DOJ will handle civil rights activities. Federal officials insist these changes reduce bureaucracy and ensure stronger service coordination.

Perspectives on these recent federal actions vary widely within the disability community. Some disability advocates interpret the memorandum as federal officials seeking to strengthen access to care for adults with serious mental illness, while others believe the DOJ’s slip opinion signals a move toward broader institutionalization across the disability community as a whole.…