WHAT: Abilities Expo, http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/atlanta/index.html

WHEN: February 17-19, day after Disability Day at the Capitol

WHERE: Georgia World Congress Center, Building C, http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/atlanta/directions.html

Equal Rights Includes Equal Suicide Prevention

As a disability rights activist, I see many people struggle every day to obtain the basic essentials to live and participate in the community. Because of many economic and attitudinal barriers thrown in people’s way, it’s not unusual for members of our community to experience at least brief periods of despair over what can seem like a never ending struggle.
I am very concerned over the “assistance” that members of the Final Exit Network (FEN) are eager to give to old, ill or disabled people who want to commit suicide. Young, healthy people sometimes feel suicidal, and in those cases law– and society as a whole –rightly step in strongly for prevention. But FEN singles out disabled people as candidates for active help to kill themselves.

One of the charges against FEN involves tampering with the scene of a suicide to pass it off as a natural death.

Also to consider is the troublesome report by an undercover GBI agent. The agent stated that one of the defendants, who had posed as a prospective FEN client, informed him that part of the “help” offered would involve holding his hands down to make sure he didn’t “inadvertently” rip the helium-filled bag off. It’s hard to believe that none of the roughly 200 FEN claims to have helped commit suicide didn’t change their mind at the last minute. The histories of at least two of the members of the FEN Advisory Board raise alarms. Faye Girsh and Ruth von Fuchs both have publicly advocated removing or lessening the legal consequences for family members who kill a disabled child or a cognitively disabled adult such as a person with dementia– provided that the killer claimed to have acted out of compassion.

What guarantees do any of us have that FEN members haven’t aided and abetted outright murders? The helium apparatus could easily be used to kill an elderly relative or child with cognitive disabilities, with no sign of struggle.
We ask the Georgia Supreme Court: Please proceed with prosecution for tampering with the scene of death. And please uphold Georgia’s ban on assisted suicide so that predators have some checks on their behavior.

Eleanor Smith – Not Dead Yet of Georgia
Patricia Puckett – Not Dead Yet of Georgia
Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle – Not Dead Yet of Georgia
Linda Pogue – Georgia ADAPT
Ryan Mercer
Vivian Teel – ADAPT
Georgia Advocacy Office
Harriet Harris – Circle of Support, Inc.
The Arc of Georgia
Greg Harry
Georgia ADAPT
Not Dead Yet of Georgia

After meeting with a Vocational Rehab. Counselor, I also went to BAIN so that a consumer file could be opened so that I might receive services through them, also. The following goals were set immediately: 1.) Voc. Rehab. Caseload, 2.) Reacher, 3.) Quickie Wheelchair, 4.) Home Modification – Bathroom Accessibility, 5.) To apply for BSCITF, 6.) To apply for Travis Roy Grant, 7.) Hand Controls, 8.) Bruno Lift, and 9.) a new vehicle.

Of course, with anything, one must begin in achieving small goals before going on to larger ones. First of all, BAIN assisted me with a reacher so that I could pick up items that I drop or reach items that are too high. Next, BAIN staff attended several Vocational Rehabilitation meetings with me as an advocate.

With the assistance of Vocational Rehabilitation, I was able to get the type of heavy-duty manual wheelchair that I needed in order to continue my lawn mowing business. While in process with Vocational Rehabilitation, I also applied for the Travis Roy Grant to try and gain assistance in getting my bathroom modified.

Although I never received assistance through the Travis Roy Grant, I did successfully apply and receive funding through the Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Commission to help purchase a new vehicle. Upon purchasing the new vehicle, Vocational Rehabilitation worked with me in getting the proper hand controls and lift that I needed to be able to drive and transport my lawn mowing equipment.

The only goal that I am still working to meet is getting my bathroom modified to where it is fully accessible to me. I plan to continue to work with BAIN in order to meet this goal. Right now, I have just set and met a new goal of becoming a BAIN Board member. I am extremely thankful for having the opportunity to be introduced to BAIN, an organization that is dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities gain independence. My desire is to contribute back to the organization so that others may benefit as I have.

Myth #1: Hiring disabled workers increases workers compensation insurance rates.

Fact: Insurance rates are based solely on the relative hazards of the operation and the organization’s accident experience, not on whether an employer has hired workers with disabilities.

Myth #2 Providing accommodations for people with disabilities is expensive.

Fact: Did you know that for the minority of workers with disabilities who do need some sort of special equipment or accommodation, 56% of these cost less than $600, with many costing nothing at all?1. And available tax incentives make it even easier for businesses to cover accessibility costs.

1Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy

Myth #3: The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) forces employers to hire unqualified individuals with disabilities.

Fact: Unqualified candidates are not protected under the ADA. To be protected from discrimination in hiring, an individual must first meet all requirements for a job and be able to perform its essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations.

Myth #4: Employees with disabilities have a higher absentee rate than employees without disabilities.

Fact: Studies by firms such as DuPont show that employees with disabilities are not absent any more than employees without disabilities.

Myth #5 Under the ADA, an employer cannot fire an employee who has a disability.

Fact: Employers can fire workers with disabilities under three conditions:

1. The termination is unrelated to the disability or
2. The employee does not meet legitimate requirements for the job, such as performance or production standards, with or without a reasonable accommodation or
3. Because of the employee’s disability, he or she poses a direct threat to health or safety in the workplace.

(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy)