On October 7, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice filed a class action complaint on behalf of Not Dead Yet, NMD United, Disability Rights New York, NDY Board member Mike Volkman and other individual plaintiffs against New York Governor Cuomo and the NY Department of Health to challenge the state’s Ventilator Allocation Guidelines […]
September 4, 2020 Committee on Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 500 5th St NW Washington, DC 20001 Committee Members: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Discussion Draft of the Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine. Not Dead Yet is a […]
On July 24th, ADAPT of Texas filed a complaint with the federal Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concerning the death of Michael Hickson, a Black Disabled man, at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center. The complaint called for . . . “. . . an investigation of St David’s […]
A man named Michael Hickson died on June 11, 2020. He was denied food an fluids for 6 days. He was a Black man. His death occurred in a climate of national discussion about the killing of Black men. His wife, Melissa, has ample evidence that his death was deliberate and was the result of […]
NDY Press Release: ADAPT of Texas has issued an Independence Day announcement that disability advocates are holding a vigil at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center to support the family of Michael Hickson, a 46-year old Black man with disabilities who died after being denied COVID-19 treatment. Not Dead Yet applauds ADAPT of Texas’ demand […]
On June 26, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights issued a press release entitled “OCR Resolves Complaint with Tennessee After it Revises its Triage Plans to Protect Against Disability Discrimination.” A number of state and national disability groups had complained that Tennessee’s crisis standards of care (CSC) “would unlawfully […]
ADAPT of Texas members protested on June 28th in front of St. David’s Hospital in Austin where they refused treatment and starved to death Michael Hickson, a black disabled man who died on June 11th, 2020. ADAPT of Texas reported that Michael Hickson was a quadriplegic with a brain injury who was refused treatment for […]
The following is expanded from remarks prepared for oral testimony at the April 22 hearing. I am adding information from the hearing testimony of the Massachusetts Coalition on Health Equity. Additional information is drawn from the Bay State Banner article on the hearing. A hearing on the proposed guidelines for ventilator distribution and ICU beds […]
Among the rationing plans being discussed to respond to the strain the surge in coronavirus cases is expected to place on the capabilities of hospitals in some cases, the Pittsburgh Model Plan Regarding the Allocation of Scarce Critical Care Resources during a Public Health Emergency (1) is being given the most play. The Plan would […]
On this day, April 27, 24 years ago, I was at a national disability rights conference in Dallas. ADAPT organizer Bob Kafka called out to me and said, “I’ve got a name for your group,” a group that increasingly seemed to be needed to combat the growing public sentiment that disabled people are better off […]
