Nine Illinois residents with developmental disabilities have filed suit against Illinois state officials, seeking an order that would require the state to provide services within a smaller community setting, instead of segregating people in large private institutions. The class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Illinois charges that by warehousing persons with developmental disabilities in large institutions, the state deprives them of their fundamental right to pursue meaningful and productive lives.

An employee's sworn statement that he was substantially impaired in major life activities, including reading, as sufficient to bring his case to trial under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has held, marking the first time a court has ruled that reading is a major life activity.