English

Making Change Work for Us

Submitted by Eric Norman

by Jim Derksen, Former CCD Chairperson

Latimer Wins Case in Media

by Prof. Dick Sobsey, University of Alberta Abuse and Disability Project

A Father's Concerns

by Brian Stewart

Forty plus years ago my parents were told not to take me home. Those concerned for my parents' well being, the medical profession, could not see my life as being worth living. Born with Cerebral Palsy, their vision was that I would not have a future and they did not, would not, or could not, see a place in the community for me.

(28 December 1998) — CCD is seeking your support to continue working to protect the fundamental human rights of persons with disabilities.

Make a contribution to our work today!

CCD has undertaken the following activities in support of fundamental human rights:

23 December 1998

How did the MLPD get involved in the Sawatzky case?

(3 December 1998) — On Sunday, 22 November 1998, CBS's "60 Minutes" broadcast a video in which Dr. Jack Kevorkian administered a lethal injection to Thomas Youk, a 52 year old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Kevorkian shared the video with CBS to push US society another step down the road toward legalized euthanasia.

Prior to the Youk case, Kevorkian has not administered a lethal injection. Instead, he has provided those requesting his services with a "suicide machine" which was operated by the person requesting the suicide.

(2 December 1998) — When Catherine Frazee, a member of CCD's Human Rights Committee, spoke to a gathering in Winnipeg to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration Human Rights, she titled her presentation "Eugenics: Who Gets to Live". Recent events in Canada and elsewhere demonstrate that eugenic assumptions continue to cause the deaths of people with disabilities.

(1 December 1998) — The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal handed down a unanimous decision in the Latimer case last week. While the Court came down on the side of disability rights, the reaction of media commentators was not as positive. This edition of the Latimer Watch contains a sampling of the coverage following last Monday's decision. Commentaries have been divided into the good: those written from an equality rights perspective, the bad: those which advocated an ableist point of view and the ugly: those which presented distorted interpretations as fact.

(23 November 1998) — Relief spread over the community of persons with disabilities when it was learned that the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal had set aside the constitutional exemption given to Robert Latimer last year by Justice Ted Noble. The exemption would have allowed Latimer to avoid the mandatory penalty for second degree murder, established by the Criminal Code. For those convicted of second degree murder, parole is not an option until ten years have been served in penitentiary. With the constitutional exemption, Latimer would have served less than two years jail time.