Meet NDY’s New Director of Minority Outreach, Anita Cameron

Hello, I’m Anita Cameron, Director of Minority Outreach. Though I’m a new employee, I’m no stranger to Not Dead Yet. I’ve been a member almost since its inception and served on the Board of Directors for two years.

I live at the intersection of a number of communities. As a Black disabled lesbian, the work of Not Dead Yet resonates with me and I am honored to serve in this position. My 36 years of work for social justice and change, including 31 years of disability advocacy and activism, will be a great asset in my new position.

The position of Director of Minority Outreach was created because Not Dead Yet recognizes that minority/marginalized communities of people with disabilities are more vulnerable to ableist, racist, homophobic, transphobic and ageist practices inherent in our healthcare system, which places us at a greater risk of coercion into physician assisted suicide.

My job is to reach out to, and organize disabled people within communities of color, the LGBT community and other minority communities, primarily in New York State, to educate them about the dangers of assisted suicide legislation from the perspective of the disability community. I will also work with state legislators, making them aware of any such legislation and urging them to vote no when it comes to the floor of the Assembly or the Senate.

I’ll be working closely with the Advocacy and Policy teams at the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester and Albany, and will be conducting research and writing blogs, op-eds, media pieces and webinars. Look for those in the very near future!

I’ll also participate in national conference calls and multi-state outreach related to the work of Not Dead Yet.

Finally, I will represent Not Dead Yet on the Task Force on Racism convened by the National Disability Leadership Alliance.

With the introduction of new assisted suicide legislation in both the New York State Assembly and Senate, my arrival could not have come at a more important time. I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and beginning the hard, yet vitally important work to combat the “better dead than disabled” mindset and rhetoric that is prevalent in our society.