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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-25-26 Correspondence - Disability Rights MT - Section 504_ What the Court Actually DidFrom:Disability Rights Montana - Growth Rings To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]Section 504: What the Court Actually Did Date:Friday, September 25, 2026 9:55:19 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Every paid subscription supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal funding is nowhere near sufficient to meet the advocacy and culture change work that is needed. You can help fund the future you want to see! Watch now Section 504: What the Court ActuallyDid A deep dive into the deception around this anti-disability lawsuit andwhere we stand now READ IN APP For months, Montana officials insisted the lawsuit challenging federal Section 504 regulations wasn’t an attack on disabled people’s right to live and receive services in our communities. Now we have the final court order. In this episode of Growth Rings, David Carlson, Executive Director of Disability Rights Montana and a disability civil rights lawyer, examines what Montana officials told concerned Montanans, what Montana and the other plaintiff states pursued in federal court, and what the September 23 judgment actually removed from federal Section 504 regulations. There’s an important twist. Gender dysphoria played a prominent role in the public explanation surrounding this lawsuit. But the final judgment has nothing to do with gender dysphoria. Instead, the court vacated provisions concerning community integration for disabled people, including regulatory language addressing the “most integrated setting” and unnecessary segregation. So what does that actually mean? SEP 25 David walks through the court filings and final judgment and explains: • What Montana officials said about the Section 504 lawsuit • What the plaintiff states originally asked the court to do • What the final judgment actually removed • What “community integration” and the “most integrated setting” mean in everyday life • Why these protections matter to people who receive disability services • What disabled people lost as a result of the ruling • Just as importantly, what remains protected under federal disability law The ruling matters, but Section 504 itself is still law. Other federal disability- rights protections also remain. Understanding that distinction is critical both for recognizing what happened and for avoiding unnecessary fear about what did not happen. Underneath the regulations, court filings, and political arguments is a much simpler question: Do disabled people have the same freedom as everyone else to live, work, learn, receive services, and belong in our own communities? No slogans. No spin. In this episode, we go to the documents and examine what actually happened. Growth Rings is a podcast from Disability Rights Montana about disability rights, law, culture, public policy, advocacy, and the systems that shape disabled people’s lives. Subscribe to Growth Rings wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow our companion newsletter for more disability-rights analysis and commentary. You’re currently a free subscriber to Life Beyond Compliance. Upgrading to paid subscriptions supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal funding is no where near sufficient to meet the advocacy and culture change work that is needed. You can help fund the future you want to see! Upgrade to paid LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Disability Rights Montana1022 Chestnut Street, Helena, MT 59601 Unsubscribe