It’s (Long Past) Time for the U.S. To Ratify the United Nations Disability Treaty

July 28, 2014CRPD - Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, disability rights, national council on independent living, Our News & Commentary Blog, united nationsCRPD, Disability TreatyDiane Coleman

…NDY’s closest allies. Here’s the information I received (excerpts): PLEASE Call your Senators! And join us at a Rally for the CRPD to let the Senate know we want this brought up for a floor vote NOW! When: July 29th, 12:15 pm Where: 3rd Street NW between Pennsylvania Ave NW and Maryland Ave SW If you’re not located in DC, you can take part by visiting your Senators’ in-state offices and expressing your support for the CRPD! You can also watch the…

NDY quoted in article on New Mexico assisted suicide case

July 17, 2012aid in dying, assisted suicide, Compassion & Choices, Connecticut, court decisions, diane coleman, Montana, New Mexico, Our News & Commentary BlogDiane Coleman

…hroughout the 1980’s and across the country, courts repeatedly and unequivocally answered “no” (i.e. no problem) to the first two questions, but Compassion and Choices (C&C) often raises the specter of being hooked to unwanted tubes and forced to endure unwanted medical treatments when advocating for something completely different than the well established right to refuse treatment. Despite nearly 25 years of widespread public education about usin…

RELEASE: NDY CEO Diane Coleman Addresses Adv. Care Planning and ‘End of Life’ Conference May 31 in Chicago

May 31, 2012"end of life", ACPEL, advance directives, conferences, diane coleman, Our News & Commentary Blog, passive euthanasiaStephen Drake

…ave narrowly escaped pressures to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment that they need to survive.” The Conference website notes that “the success of our previous conferences in Australia and the UK is reflective of the increasing importance that the international healthcare sector is placing on this pertinent area of patient care.” The Conference overview speaks to health care providers, emphasizing that, “As we continuously aim…

Another loss: Barbara Knowlen 1941-2010

August 17, 2010advocacy, barbara knowlen, in memorium, Mouth Magazine, New Mobility, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…IANS ARE APPROXIMATELY 9.000 TIMES MORE DANGEROUS THAN GUN OWNERS. Statistical proof: There are 80 million gun owners in the U.S., and 1,500 accidental gun deaths per year. There are 700,000 physicians in the U.S. who cause 120,000 accidental deaths each year. It looks to this mathematician like doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners! And who are they most dangerous to? Us, of course. People with disabilities, people…

American Medical News – “Kevorkian leaves mixed legacy” (NDY Quoted)

June 20, 2011American Medical News, assisted suicide, bioethics, disabilities, Kevorkian, Our News & Commentary Blog, stephen drake, Timothy QuillStephen Drake

Since I was interviewed for this article in American Medical News, I was actively looking for its appearance online this morning. The interview with the reporter lasted almost 45 minutes and covered a lot of ground, most of which didn’t get included in this relatively short article. It is an attempt to explore the “legacy” that Kevorkian left us. Below are come excerpts from the article Dr. Kevorkian leaves mixed legacy by Carolyne Krupa: The dea…