They grew up with disability rights. Now, they're fighting to keep them

Cody, 27, and Kaleigh Brendle, 23, grew up near the Jersey Shore with disabilities, learning early on from family support and the ADA’s promise of inclusion. They say the “integration mandate” from the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court’s 1999 Olmstead decision shaped their lives—from access to community-based programs to Kaleigh’s path to law school. Now that system is facing a legal challenge. In Texas v. Kennedy, Republican-led states argue the federal government can’t require community disability services. In June, the Justice Department issued an opinion echoing that view.