Late last Saturday night (January 16, 2010), Judi Chamberlin died at home, with family at her side. This was not unexpected. Judi has been receiving hospice services for over a year as a chronic lung condition worsened to the point where she decided to enroll in hospice services. She shared her thoughts and experiences as a hospice patient on her blog, “Life as a Hospice Patient.”
Judi is best known as a pioneer in the psychiatric survivors’ movement – or “Mad Pride.” Judi and and a handful of others grew a movement that challenged the notion that a psychiatric label was a justification for denial of basic human rights, and leaving individuals at the often not-so-tender mercies of mental health professionals.
Readers of this blog – especially outside of the disability community – might have noticed that NDY doesn’t devote a lot of discussion or recognition to psychiatric terminology. We also (I hope successfully) steer clear of sanctioning forced psychiatric treatment as our answer to people with disabilities who want to kill themselves or want help doing it.
Judi Chamberlin had a lot to do with that approach. Early on, she challenged those of us working in NDY to be careful not to answer one perceived injustice by advocating another. She was right and I hope we’ve done our best to avoid those traps.
Like many people in and out of the movement, I will miss her. It’s not that we talked that much, but I often felt her looking over my shoulder, making sure I didn’t screw it up.
For more information on Judi, including links to recent coverage about her, please visit the The National Empowerment Center.
There is a page devoted to all things Judi Chamberlin. –Stephen Drake