All posts by Diane Coleman

Media Advisory: Disability Rights Advocates Gather at SJC to Defend Disabled Lives

October 12, 2022"death with dignity", aid in dying, assisted suicide, court cases, court decisions, john kelly, Jules Good, Our News & Commentary Blog, press release, protests, Second Thoughtsassisted suicide, court cases, John Kelly, press release, Second ThoughtsDiane Coleman

***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Disability Rights Advocates Gather at SJC to Defend Disabled Lives Boston, MA – Thursday, October 13 at 12 PM, Second Thoughts MA: Disability Rights Advocates Against Assisted Suicide and Not Dead Yet will gather outside the Supreme Judicial Court at the John Adams Courthouse to remind the SJC and the public that the issue of … Continue reading Media Advisory: Disability Rights Advocates Gather at SJC to Defend Disabled Lives →

Mourning the Loss of Paul Spooner, ED of MetroWest CIL

October 11, 2022assisted suicide, better dead than disabled, national council on independent living, Our News & Commentary Blog, paul spooner, Second ThoughtsPaul SpoonerDiane Coleman

Disability advocates around the country are mourning the loss and remembering the leadership of Paul Spooner who died unexpectedly Saturday. In Not Dead Yet’s early years in the late 1990s, Paul was President of the National Council on Independent Living and helped ensure that our message against the “better dead than disabled” mindset was heard … Continue reading Mourning the Loss of Paul Spooner, ED of MetroWest CIL →

NDY Vlog Episode 2: Suicide Prevention and the Disability Double Standard

September 28, 2022Our News & Commentary BlogDiane Coleman

To view the video on YouTube , go here: https://youtu.be/B0z1XnuoSV0 CW: Suicide, ableism In this vlog, we’ll explore the relationship between suicide prevention, disability, and assisted suicide, as well as the ways disabled people are endangered by policies that devalue our lives. RESOURCES ON DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION WORK: Project LETS: https://projectlets.org/advocacy MindFreedom International: https://mindfreedom.org/about-mfi/ SOURCES: 1&2. APA … Continue reading NDY Vlog Episode 2: Suicide Prevention and the Disability Double Standard →

Introducing the Not Dead Yet Video Blog!

September 23, 2022Our News & Commentary BlogDiane Coleman

Check out our first in a series of vlogs! Join Jules Good, our Assistant Director and Policy Analyst, (and Chompers, their cockatiel, who is always eager to join in on vlog recording) to learn about involuntary withdrawal of life-sustaining medical treatment. This video also features an interview with Anita Cameron, our Director of Minority Outreach, … Continue reading Introducing the Not Dead Yet Video Blog! →

Lisa Blumberg: Getting Beyond Advance Medical Directives

September 16, 2022advance directives, Conversation Project, DNR, Do-Not-Resuscitate, Dr. Ferdinando Mirarchi, end-of-life care, Health care decision-making, life-sustaining treatment, Lisa Blumberg, Our News & Commentary Blog, supported decision making, treatment withdrawalAdvance Care Planning, advance directives, End-of-life, Lisa Blumberg, treatment withdrawalDiane Coleman

For years, advance medical directives, popularly known as living wills, have been promoted as giving people control over what happens to them at “end of life”, i.e., when they are in dire medical straits. (1) It is hard to disagree with the concept. Certainly, people have the right to refuse treatment they don’t find helpful … Continue reading Lisa Blumberg: Getting Beyond Advance Medical Directives →