Stephen F. Gold is an
attorney who specializes in civil rights and represents only persons
with disabilities. Besides representing numerous individuals with
disabilities in discrimination lawsuits, he also represents ADAPT
and NOT DEAD YET.
Mr. Gold successfully brought the "curb cut"
lawsuit, Kinney v. Yerusalem, arguing that whenever a municipality
resurfaces a street, it must ensure access to that street by installing
curb cuts. As a result of this lawsuit, communities will become
fully accessible.
He also successfully argued the case, Helen
L., that a state discriminates against a person by requiring
them to receive services in a segregated nursing home, rather
than providing them services in the community. This lawsuit established
the legal principle that persons with disabilities are entitled
to receive services "in the most integrated setting appropriate"
to their needs and the failure to provide those services was discriminatory.
The Supreme Court in the Olmstead decision followed the legal
principle and consequently, "the most integrated setting"
is now the law of the land. As a result of this lawsuit, advocates
can help people in nursing homes live in the communities with
personal assistance services.
Mr. Gold litigated a national action ADAPT v.
HUD on behalf of numerous national organizations, including
ADAPT and NCIL, arguing that HUD has failed to enforce the requirements
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Federal Fair Housing
Act of 1988 which require that local public entities, receiving
federal financial assistance, construct and rehabilitate both
rental and home ownership dwelling units so that 5 percent of
these dwelling units be accessible for persons with mobility disabilities
and one percent for persons with visual and hearing disabilities.
In ADAPT v. Philadelphia Housing Authority, a federal court
required the local housing agnecy to construct 5% accessible units.
He has brought other houses cases on behalf of persons with disabilities.
In Young v. District of Columbia Housing Authority, a federal
court settlement requires 565 accessible units be constructed
and will increase the values of vouchers under the Section 8 program.
In Liberty Resources Inc.v. SEPTA, the federal
court ruled that paratransit services must be provided to all
eligible persons who request a "next day ride."
He also wrote the amicus brief for NOT DEAD YET
and ADAPT in "physician-assisted" suicide case before
the United States Supreme Court, arguing that people with severe
disabilities are discriminated against because physicians do not
require the same suicide prevention procedures for persons with
and without disabilities. The brief argues that physician-assisted
suicide will discriminate as long as physicians do not value people
with severe disabilities.
He has also written an amicus brief against a "wrongful
life" action, arguing that hospitals violate Section 504
the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to deny children
with actual or potential disabilities the same level of medical
care as nondisabled children receive.
He wrote the amicus brief for ADAPT, NCIL and TASH
in the Olmstead v LC case before the Supreme Court, arguing
that it is discrimination under the ADA to fail to provide services
in "the most integrated setting" for persons with disabilities.
His Information Bulletins, which have a national
circulation of more than 6,000 advocates and persons with disabilities,
have dealt with housing, nursing homes, education, and medical
assistance.
