COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO/Ohio News Service): A class-action lawsuit filed Thursday accuses Ohio and several agencies of failing some individuals with disabilities.

The plaintiffs, including Disability Rights Ohio, argue that the way the state pays for services and treatment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities forces too many to receive those services in institutional settings.

Kerstin Sjoberg-Witt, director of advocacy and assistant executive director of Disability Rights Ohio, said the suit contends that by not providing enough community-based services, the state is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“While we would have hoped to resolve this without having to take legal action, it’s become necessary to do so in order to get these real options for people with developmental disabilities,” she said. “We hope we’ll be able to maybe even start a dialogue with the state to correct these problems.”

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities also was named in the suit, and a spokesperson there said on Thursday that Disability Rights Ohio has declined to meet with state officials in recent weeks to discuss options, and that the department is working with providers to expand community-based options.