Pat Maichle, Director of the Development Disabilities Council, hosted a dinner at the Dover Sheraton Hotel along with the Delaware Victims Rights Task Force on January 23rd.The dinner was in honor of Mr. Olegario “Ollie” D. Cantos VII who is Special Counsel to the Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Cantos was the keynote speaker at the Tenth Annual Life Conference, the largest disability conference in Delaware held each year in January. “LIFE” stands for Legislation, Independence, Families, and Education. It is an annual information exchange for persons with disabilities, their families and those who serve them. Sponsors included the Developmental Disabilities Council, DFRC, Inc., Easter Seals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, AARP, BayHealth Medical Center, CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Delaware Industries for the Blind, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Dyna Vox, Autism Society of Delaware, Elwyn Inc., Logisticare, Lower Autism Foundation, the Center for Disabilities Studies, DART First State, Delaware Department of Education, Division of Disabilities Services for the Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, State Council for Persons with Disabilities, Birth to Three Early Intervention System, Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative.

The 10th Annual Life Conference was held on January 23, 2008 at the Sheraton Dover Hotel. Representative Valihura had the great pleasure of welcoming our key-note speaker, Mr. Olegario “Ollie” D. Cantos VII who is Special Counsel to the Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Developmental Disabilities Council hosted a dinner at the Dover Sheraton Hotel along with Delaware Victims Rights Task Force on January 23rd. In attendance was a very special guest, Lois Curtis. Lois  spent her adolescent and adult life as a resident in various state-run institutions. After her repeated requests to be allowed to live in the community were denied, Ms. Curtis sued the state of Georgia. In 1999, her case came before the U.S. Supreme Court. Victorious, the landmark decision declared "unnecessary institutionalization amounts to segregation and is a violation of individual civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act". Her case became a national mandate to free tens of thousands of people with disabilities from unnecessary and unjust institutionalion.

Lois Curtis' uncommon self-advocacy began a chain of events that has affected the lives of people with disabilities across the nation. Lois became a civil rights activist and her actions became a catalyst within the disability rights movement. Lois' actions have had a profound affect upon the system of supports for people with disabilities and many individuals have been released from institutions because of Lois and the "Olmstead Decision".

Today Lois is a successful artist and activist. In addition to several one woman shows, Lois' artwork has been displayed in venues across the country and is a part of the Kilpatrick Stockton Law Firm collection in Atlanta, Georgia. As an activist, she travels across the country inspiring people to stand up for themselves and live their dreams. Most important to this native Georgian is the recognition she has received by, among others, Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond who has invited her to present her story and artwork at several events and statewide conferences; Dekalb County CEO Vernon Jones who declared May 2006 "Lois Curtis Month"; and the Director of the Georgia Department of Developmental Disabilities, Dr. Steve Hall who gave credit to Lois for the passage of the new Georgia Medicaid Waivers when he said, " Everyone of us doing good work in Georgia stands on the shoulders of this great woman". Most recently, Ms. Curtis was a recipient of the 2007 Harriet Tubman Act of Courage Award along with six others including the well known hero of the Civil Rights movement United States Congressman John Lewis.

Pictured above is Lois Curtis. Ms. Curtis was one of several session speakers at the 10th Annual LIFE Conference held on January 23, 2008. Her session was titled “The Integration Mandate: Meet LC (from LC/EW vs. Olmstead) and others effected by the decision”.

Pictured left to right are: Jamie Wolf, Chair of the Developmental Disabilties Council and Lois Curtis.

The Developmental Disabilities Council hosted a dinner at the Dover Sheraton Hotel along with Delaware Victims Rights Task Force on January 23rd. The State of Delaware Treasurer, Jack Markell, had the great pleasure of welcoming Mr. Olegario “Ollie” D. Cantos VII who is Special Counsel to the Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice.

Pictured is: State of Delaware Treasurer, Jack Markell