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

September 28, 2022Our News & Commentary BlogDiane Coleman

…t the way patients are treated, let’s assume for the sake of this hypothetical scenario that the only difference between these two patients is their disability status. In scenario one, we have a person who does not have disabilities other than mental health challenges. This person shows up to the hospital with an intent and plan to die by suicide. Maybe they’ve already made an attempt, and have been brought to the hospital by someone else. When th…

Montana: Diane Coleman Letter on Elder Abuse and Assisted Suicide Published in Missoulian

December 6, 2012assisted suicide, elder abuse, letters to the editor, Montana, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…that we are extremely concerned that assisted suicide, sometimes euphemistically called “aid in dying,” could be legalized in Montana. It is estimated that there are 21,265 cases of elder abuse annually in Montana, reported and unreported (http://web.archive.org/web/20101021101332/http://www.eadaily.com/15/elder-abuse-statistics/). Statistically, 90 percent of elder abusers are a family member or trusted other. Similarly, people with disabilities…

Art Caplan “Debunks” 23-year Misdiagnosis of PVS in Belgium, But Omits Some Details

November 25, 2009Art Caplan, bioethics, locked-in syndrome, media coverage, Our News & Commentary Blog, pvs, rom houben, steven laureysStephen Drake

…in scanning equipment and found that his level of brain activity was identical to that of a person who had no brain damage. Professionals on the team have worked with Houben to develop a way to communicate. This has become a somewhat sensationalized and “inspirational” story. And it’s already receiving blowback. The most prominent of the critics to surface is bioethicist Art Caplan, who says he isn’t buying it. He has three major concerns that I c…

NY Times: Montana Court to Rule on Assisted Suicide Case (NDY Quoted)

September 1, 2009assisted suicide, Bob Liston, court decisions, media coverage, Montana, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…but less. Mr. Liston, an organizer for a national disability-rights group called Not Dead Yet, said he envisioned people like himself being nudged toward life-ending choices by their doctors or families, out of compassion or perhaps convenience. “People with disabilities don’t get to live with dignity, let alone die with dignity,” he said. Other opponents of a “right to die well,” as some are calling the argument made by Mr. Baxter and the group…

Diane Coleman and Steve Gold in Seattle Times Story

September 19, 2007bioethics, life-ending decisions, media coverage, Our News & Commentary Blog, Steve GoldStephen Drake

…he neck down. Here are some of the comments from Gold and Coleman: Statistically, spinal-cord patients are more likely to be young and male — hurt in sports, auto accidents or other trauma. Unlike older patients, who may come to be disabled more gradually, they are suddenly forced to imagine a life with grave limitations. And, most likely, they’ve internalized stereotypes and negative attitudes about disability, said Diane Coleman, president of th…