Category Archives: access to health care

The Tragedy of Eileen Mihich: A Woman with Mental Illness Abandoned by the System into the Waiting Jaws of Assisted Suicide.

"death with dignity", "end of life", ableism, abuse, access to health care, better dead than disabled, bias, bigotry, Illinois, New York, Our News & Commentary Blog, Washington state, , , , , ,

Eileen Mihich deserved better. Aging With Dignity has put out a powerful, short film that further dispels the disingenuous claims by ableist proponents of assisted suicide laws that there has never been a single instance in which safeguards have failed. To the assisted suicide proponent question: Where is the evidence of abuse, coercion and error? … Continue reading The Tragedy of Eileen Mihich: A Woman with Mental Illness Abandoned by the System into the Waiting Jaws of Assisted Suicide. →

ILLINOIS STEALTH ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL DRESSED AS FOOD PREPARATION BILL PASSES BY ONE VOTE

"death with dignity", "end of life", ableism, Access Living, access to health care, action alert, advocacy, Americans with Disabilities Act, assisted suicide, duty to die, elder abuse, eugenics, Illinois, Not Dead Yet, Our News & Commentary Blog, Patients Rights Action Fund

The Illinois State Senate, just passed an assisted suicide bill, dressed as a food preparation bill, to make it easier for disabled people to die, not to live. In this worst possible national moment, Illinois proponents decided in the interest of vulnerable Illinoisans that now was the time to sneak an assisted suicide bill amendment … Continue reading ILLINOIS STEALTH ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL DRESSED AS FOOD PREPARATION BILL PASSES BY ONE VOTE →

Diane Coleman’s Last Review: Life After: “A wonderful film.”

ableism, access to health care, assisted suicide, diane coleman, documentary, health disparities, medical killings, Michael Hickson, Not Dead Yet, Our News & Commentary Blog

    To the best of my knowledge, one of the last tasks Founder, President and CEO of Not Dead Yet (NDY), Diane Coleman completed, days before her sudden passing last November, was to watch Reid Davenport’s Life After. Diane intended to write a fulsome review. And although she could not publish her thoughts in … Continue reading Diane Coleman’s Last Review: Life After: “A wonderful film.” →

Does Not Go Far Enough: Thaddeus Pope Gives Delaware Assisted Suicide Law a Middling Grade

ableism, abuse, access to health care, Delaware, eugenics, Lisa Blumberg, Our News & Commentary Blog, unethical ethicists

By Lisa Blumberg Lisa Blumberg   The traditional strategy of groups promoting assisted suicide for initially passing a law legalizing the practice is by touting a few minimal requirements as inviolable safeguards. Assisted suicide, they assert, will be a rarely used option for a small, well-vetted cohort of people who are dying, suffering and with … Continue reading Does Not Go Far Enough: Thaddeus Pope Gives Delaware Assisted Suicide Law a Middling Grade →

Jensen Caraballo: The Misguided Compassion of Assisted Suicide in Disability

ableism, access to health care, assisted suicide, disability, health disparities, long term services and supports, medical discrimination, Our News & Commentary Blog, quality of life judgments, , ,

Introduction Assisted suicide is often presented as a compassionate choice for those experiencing unbearable suffering. However, as someone who has navigated life’s challenges as a disability rights advocate and someone who was once confined to a nursing home, I see a troubling oversight in this narrative. It fails to consider the systemic barriers that prevent … Continue reading Jensen Caraballo: The Misguided Compassion of Assisted Suicide in Disability →