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Affordable, Accessible, Integrated Housing:
Putting the Puzzle Together When the Pieces Don't Fit
About the Presenter
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.
Contact Information:
Steve Gold
125 S. 9th St., Suite 700
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-627-7100 (v)
215-627-3183 (f)
stevegoldada@cs.com
www.stevegoldada.com
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