WASHINGTON (ABC4) — The U.S. Department of Justice released findings Tuesday that found the state of Utah “discriminates against young people and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) during the day instead of helping them find employment and get through their days in the community.”
The 15-page document outlining the Department of Justice’s findings can be read at the bottom of this article. The Department of Justice determined that the state violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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The Justice Department said it found that Utah places people with disabilities in “segregated settings, such as sheltered workshops or day care facilities,” which limits their interactions with non-disabled people and gives them few choices about how they spend their time.
“Full inclusion in society is the central promise of the ADA,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are entitled to full inclusion and to dignity and purpose in deciding where they work and how they spend their days.”
According to the Department of Justice, state sheltered workshops are often located in industrial warehouses, where I/DD workers often perform mechanical tasks for less than minimum wage, and in daytime facilities, I/DD workers may spend all day with nothing to do except “craft or watch TV.”
Federal law states that state and local governments “must ensure that services for individuals with disabilities are provided in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of each individual.” The Department of Justice also provided guidance to states under an October 2023 article.
ABC4.com has reached out to Gov. Spencer Cox’s office for comment, which will be added here as it becomes available.
For more information about the ADA, call DOJ’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov/topics/community-integration/.