Last Friday, three disability activists in New York City went to the Justice Action Center at the NY Law School to distribute flyers protesting the way in which a symposium on “Freedom of Choice at the End of Life” handled “issues of concern” that people with disabilities have with proponents of assisted suicide (and other “end of life” issues). The “discussion” was relegated to a session about “special people” and the discussion framed by opponents of disability rights advocates and activists. The problems with that approach – for those who don’t immediately see one – were discussed on the blog last month.
We are very grateful to disability activists Marla DeFex, Nadina Laspina and Danny Robert for taking this on for us. Between their presence and leafleting – and some correspondence with faculty associated with the Justice Action Center – I think there was – finally – some discomfort regarding the way in which disability concerns were handled at this event (e.g. without us). It will be interesting to see what Thaddeus Pope writes about this – if he writes anything at all.
Below is a copy of the flyer that they distributed at the event (with pictures following).
NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US!
WE ARE DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS WHO OBJECT TO A SYMPOSIUM THAT CLAIMS TO ADDRESS DISABILITY RIGHTS CONCERNS BUT INCLUDES NO PRESENTERS FROM THE DISABILITY RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
Today, Friday, November 16th, the Justice Action Center, part of New York Law School, is presenting a symposium entitled ” Freedom of Choice at the End of Life – Patients’ Rights in a Shifting Legal and Political Landscape.”
There are multiple and major problems with the third panel which the Symposium materials describe as follows:
“Panel III: Special People, Special Issues This panel will discuss the issues of concern for people with disabilities and the conflict between organizations dedicated to protecting their rights and end-of-life advocates. The panel will discuss the views of some of the major religion (sic) and whether conservative theological values can co-exist with patient choice. Finally, the panel will conclude with a discussion of the quality of medical care provided to prisoners and how their end of life choices are treated.”
It is likely that “issues of concern” to disability rights activists will be discussed by panelist Alicia Ouellette. Ouellette recently published a text on bioethics and disability – apparently becoming the newest bioethicist who wants to become known as the “disability-conscious” bioethicist – someone who relates slanted, distorted and outright “straw man” versions of disability critiques, concerns and strong objections to both bioethics and so-called “end of life” advocates. Ouellette gets many things wrong about disability issues in her book.
For more information, contact www.notdeadyet.org.
(PAGE 2)
NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US (CONT.)
It appears likely that panelist Ann Neumann will focus on religious issues, but her blog “Otherspoon” has demonstrated her longstanding marked disdain for disability advocates who organize against pro-euthanasia and assisted suicide groups. In her July 2012 post on “Otherspoon,” she used a familiar move that privileged people make when they’re about to demean and dismiss members of a minority, writing about her great “friendship” with disability studies academic Bill Peace (Bad Cripple blogger), a conventional shield for what came next in her post:
I would never take him to task for how he feels. Or over not seizing his autonomy from hypothetical others, including “pro-life” organizations that have worked very hard to recruit disabled individuals and groups to “their side”–with scary threats of a “culture of death” just waiting around to kill off the “abnormal.”
Instead of giving a fair account of the concerns of disability advocates about these issues, she inserts extreme slogans from the Religious Right – and then implies that we are jumping on their bandwagon because we’re just poor, scared little cripples who can easily be “recruited” by the right propaganda. She denies the agency of disabled people, asserting that those stands we take that she disagrees with can’t be our own.
What makes this all the more appalling is that this Symposium will happen under the auspices of the University’s Justice Action Center. Sadly, the Justice Action Center fails to show even a modicum of respect in making sure the perspectives of disability rights advocates and activists are represented fairly and accurately, and by disability rights activists ourselves, as other minority groups and women would have a right to expect.
On November 12, we wrote to the following Symposium co-sponsors, urging them to withdraw their sponsorship:
New York Law School Law Review and the Diane Abbey Law Center for Children and Families, the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging; the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association; and Collaborative for Palliative Care, Westchester/NYS Southern Region.
For more information, contact www.notdeadyet.org.
(End flyer)
Below are pics from the action:
In the picture above (from left to right), Marla DeFex holds a sign that says “EQUAL RIGHTS INCLUDE EQUAL SUICIDE PREVENTION,” Nadina Laspina holds a sign that says “IT’S NOT COMPASSION, IT’S CONTEMPT!” and Danny Robert holds a sign that says “WOULD YOU RATHER BE DEAD?”
My heroes: the leaflet workers, the blogger/researcher, the exec dir and everybody who reads, leads, thinks NDY! And for you all, I give thanks. Because I’m not dead yet.