Lois Curtis, who won a historic civil rights case for people with disabilities, dies

Curtis, 55, died of pancreatic cancer on Thursday in his own home outside Atlanta

Curtis spent a lot of time in state institutions in his teens and early 20s

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Curtis suffered from intellectual disability and mental illness

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Attorney Sue Jamieson filed suit in the Supreme Court on behalf of Curtis and another woman - L.C. v. Olmsted

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Following the Olmsted decision, the state Medicaid budgets shifted

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Home-based care becomes a right under Olmsted's decision

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At least 700,000 people are waiting in some 40 states for home care

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Olmsted's decision has been cited in several lawsuits to take others out of institutional care. And its use has spread

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Curtis Discovered Her Talent As An Artist After Dropping Out Of State Hospitals

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In 2011, Curtis was invited to the White House on the anniversary of the Olmsted decision

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In a 2020 video made for the National Disability Rights Network, Curtis said: "My name is Lois Curtis ... I'm happy to be free."

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