Lois Jeanette Curtis was a Black activist, artist, and advocate for people with disabilities. Born on July 14, 1967, in Atlanta, Georgia, Curtis was diagnosed with intellectual disabilities as a child and spent much of her life in institutions. However, she refused to be defined by her disabilities and instead became a vocal advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.

Having an intellectual disability, Curtis became an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities in the Nineties  when she was institutionalized in a state-run mental institution in Georgia. She spent eleven years in the institution and experienced inhumane living conditions, abuse, and neglect. Curtis quickly made a name for herself as a powerful and passionate speaker.

In 1997, Curtis filed a class action lawsuit against Georgia, alleging that the state’s institutionalization of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities was a form of discrimination. The casa Olmstead v. L.C. went to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1999. The court ruled in favor of Curtis, stating that unjustified institutionalization of individuals with disabilities is a form of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The landmark case was a significant victory for the disability rights movement, as it established that people with disabilities have the right to live in the community and receive support services.

Curtis was a pioneer in the fight for community integration, and her work helped lay the foundation for developing community-based services and supports for people with disabilities.

Despite her obstacles, Curtis never lost her determination to fight for the rights of people with disabilities. She continued to speak out on issues related to disability rights, and her activism profoundly impacted the disability rights movement. Curtis’s legacy lives on today as advocates continue to fight for the rights of people with disabilities and strive to make communities more inclusive and accessible.

Curtis passed away, at home in Clarkston, Georgia, on November 3, 2022, at 55 years old.

About the SEIU Local 1021 Workers with Disabilities Committee

The purpose of the committee is to advocate for workers with disabilities and to build alliances with community groups. The committee exists to educate disabled workers on their rights, organize them to have a voice, and act as a support base for those who are being denied employment. Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6 pm to 8 pm. The chair of the Workers with Disabilities Committee is Raina Johnson. For more information, go here.