Category: Grief and Tragedy

Remembering the Disabled Victims of Filicide

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graphic of 3 abstract lit candles with the text reading disability day of mourning, remembering people with disabilities murdered by their families

Courtesy of https://disability-memorial.org/

Every year on March 1st we acknowledge the Disability Community Day of Mourning. This year, more than any other, will mark a very different look to the way we mourn as a community. In the face of a pandemic that has had a disproportionate effect on disabled people and their communities, it is more important for us to honor the lives of disabled people murdered by those closest to them. Disabled people in our communities are generally ignored and it has become even more difficult to raise awareness of the problem of filicide of disabled people with the constant onslaught of tragedy caused by Covid-19.

Disabled people are receiving significantly less support than non-disabled people when it comes to healthcare specifically related to Covid-19. With ICUs being forced to prioritize life-saving measures based on criteria that is beyond the understanding of laypeople, including taking into account perceived “quality of life” as a determining factor in some cases. Disabled people are far too often seen as having less “quality of life” than non-disabled people which leads doctors to place them further down the priority list when it comes to finite resources in life-saving measures. This specific criterion frequently demonstrates that even (or especially???) doctors do not have a fundamental understanding of what it actually is to be disabled.

In Canada we are also facing the enshrinement in law of the assumption that disabled people have less “quality of life” in the amendments being proposed to Canada’s Criminal Code and Medical Aid in Dying laws through Bill C-7 which is currently being debated in Parliament. Bill C-7 includes expanding MAiD to people who experience “grievous and irremediable medical condition” but do not have an immediately foreseeable risk of death due to their condition. The United Nations has come down on this proposed amendment, citing that as a signatory nation on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Canada would be in violation of that convention if the amendment to our Criminal Code is passed.

When it comes to the murder of disabled people by family and support people, we see the “quality of life” argument brought up in almost every single case. How often have we heard someone who murdered a disabled person defend themselves (usually to very sympathetic audience) by proclaiming that the victim was suffering? That their life was miserable, sad, pain-filled, and restrictive. That the murderer would want someone to do the same (kill them?) for them if they had been disabled.

The idea that some lives, especially disabled lives, are “less than” other lives is a terrifying and dangerous one. Subjective criteria like “quality of life” and “grievous and irremediable” open the door for increased discrimination, decreased social support, and as demonstrated by the ongoing pandemic, decreased access to resources that will sustain or improve a life for people who don’t conform to the “standard model” of what personhood is perceived to be.

The ongoing pandemic and Canada’s Bill C-7 are just large-scale demonstrations of what can happen when peoples’ lives are assigned “value” by some arbitrary set of criteria. We see smaller demonstrations of the same every time a disabled person is murdered by someone they are supposed to trust. It will be difficult to mourn the disabled lives lost to MAiD and the pandemic because there will be so many and it will be in a hospital or under a doctor’s care. We will continue to mourn disabled people who die violent deaths at the hands of trusted individuals and hope that the parallels are drawn between the three types of event.

Today, we remember and mourn:

Terri-Lynn Thompson – murdered by her husband October 14, 2019 in Belleville Ontario

Florence Girard – neglected by her paid attendant until she starved to death on October 13, 2018 in Vancouver British Columbia

Douglas Fischer – murdered by his daughter’s ex partner, part of a multiple murder, March 29, 2018 in Bluevale, Ontario

Levi Illingayuk – killed by his son in a fight, February 3, 2018 in Clyde River, Nunavut

Ninon Hardie – murdered by her son, December 6, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario

Richard Dubuc – killed by his brother, October 5, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec

Ryanna Grywacheski – murdered by her boyfriend, September 16, 2017 in Marystown, Newfoundland

Kaylie Lis-Lalande – neglected by her mother until she died from complications from starvation and dehydration, September 4, 2017 in Oakville, Ontario

Jocelyne Lizotte – killed by her husband February 20, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec

Lydia Whitford – died from unknown causes suspected to be the result of homicide or neglect at the hands of her foster mother, July 14, 2016 in Stonewall, Manitoba

Ronald McCabe – murdered by his son, March 7, 2016 in Kitchener, Ontario

Irene Carter – murdered by her daughter, January 13, 2016 in Lethbridge, Alberta

Jessica Hagan – murdered by her mother, September 8, 2015 in Cranston, Alberta

Anne Schmidt – murdered by her son, July 5, 2015 in Vineland, Ontario

Emily Janzen – murdered (along with her mother and aunt) by her father, May 7, 2015 in Rosedale, British Columbia

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women – Inclusion Matters

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December 6th is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It is the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, where in 1989 at L’École Polytechnique de Montreal, 14 young women were brutally murdered. It is a day to remember all women who have faced violence simply for being women, a day to act against that violence and a day to reflect on how much and changed and how much has yet to change when it comes to violence against women in Canada.

Disabled women in Canada are more likely to face violence than almost any other group of people. They are also among the least likely to report it and violence against disabled women is one of the least researched intersections of violence against women. I became overwhelmed by the data when I was researching this but I recommend DAWN Canada’s Fact Sheet on Women with Disabilities and Violence to see some truly alarming numbers. (What I need to note about this fact sheet is that the data used frequently does not include women living in institutional settings so the problem of violence against disabled women can be assumed to be much, much worse than these numbers indicate.)

There are numerous reasons for this, but the main one I can think of is that all people with disabilities struggle to see full inclusion with every aspect of our world. When we say “inclusion matters” we don’t just mean inclusive classrooms and workplaces. We don’t just mean removing physical barriers that bar access to space many of us take for granted. Inclusion matters because women with disabilities need access to the same spaces and resources as everyone else but due to the too-numerous-to-count barriers disabled women do not have anywhere near the level of inclusion they need, let alone deserve.

Inclusion matters because due to the lack of inclusion, women with disabilities are more vulnerable than almost any other identifiable group. They are the most likely people to experience systematic, institutionalized and pervasive violence, removing their humanity and ability to participate in society. Their agency is removed at almost every level and when disabled women experience violence, they have no support structure, no resources to escape.

Inclusion matters, and by pushing for greater inclusion of women with disabilities in all parts of life we will be contributing to the reduction of violence against disabled women.

A Podcast Recommendation; Canadian True Crime

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The International Disability Day of Mourning is March 1st, we mark it every year here and remember the victims with heavy hearts.

One of the victims Gerianne and I discuss often is Tracy Latimer. Her murder was a shock to all Canadians and is still at front of mind when we think and talk about filicide of disabled people. The support her murderer has received, still receives, is something neither of us can wrap our heads around.

I have been on a bit of a true crime kick lately, listening to the Canadian True Crime Podcast on my frequent long drives dropping my kids off and picking them up from school. I’m going through the episodes, oldest to newest, and a few days ago I came across Episode 37, Tracy Latimer, originally released in December, 2018.

When I saw who the victim was for this podcast, I was immediately ready to delete all subsequent episodes from my phone, I was mentally preparing myself for a take that was sympathetic to Tracy’s murderer, as is so often the case but I was willing to give the host, Kristi Lee, a shot. She had impressed me with her reasonable and balanced take on many other crimes and I had a slight hope that she would be able to tackle this one with the same fairness.

I was right to give her a chance. I still got very angry listening to Tracy’s story and the story of her murder but not at the host. Lee presented the case well and was incredibly neutral in her discussion of the details of the case, the support Tracy’s murderer has received and the anger about both that has come from the disability rights community. I could not tell whether Lee supported Tracy’s murderer or thought his conviction was just.

If you are unfamiliar with the Latimer case and are interested in learning more, I highly recommend Canadian True Crimes Episode 37, Tracy Latimer. It does go into a lot of detail so if you’re uncomfortable with descriptions of murder, this may not be the podcast for you. I learned a fair bit about the case and about the push for adding “compassionate homicide” to Canada’s legal code.

Disability Advocates Call for Immediate Change to Hospital Policies Designating “Essential” Supports/Visitors following the Death of Ariis Knight

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MEDIA RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release                                                                May 5, 2020

The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and the Disability Alliance British Columbia (DABC) are calling on all hospitals in every province and territory in Canada to immediately revise their policies designating “essential” supports/visitors to include personal support workers, healthcare aides and family members who can assist people with disabilities in communicating with healthcare providers. 

This call to expand the definition of “essential” supports/visitors to reflect the support needs of people with disabilities comes after the death of Ariis Knight, who had cerebral palsy and communicated with her family and support workers through her eyes and facial expressions. Ms. Knight was admitted to Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock on April 15 with symptoms of congestion, fever and vomiting, but did not have COVID-19.  Her support staff were not permitted access due to restrictions put in place during the pandemic. Not long after being admitted, Knight was put on end-of-life care, and died days later. She was 40 years old.

“Ariis Knight died isolated, utterly alone, and, most chillingly of all, silenced,” said Dr. Heidi Janz, Chair of CCD’s Ending-of-Life Ethics Committee, who is also a member of the federal government’s COVID-19  and Disability Advisory Group. “No one gave her the means to communicate with her family or her medical team. Her basic rights as a human being were violated.”

Dr Natalie Spagnuolo, a member of CCD’s Social Policy Committee, agrees. “While it is true that hospital departments have the authority to grant visitor exemptions on a case by case basis and at their own discretion, this does not guarantee equitable access to health care for patients who rely on human supports in areas such as communication and decision-making – including many individuals with intellectual disabilities. These individuals need to be assured that they will not be separated from their support person upon admission.”

Pat Danforth, of DABC, underscores the urgent need for a change in hospital visitation policy. “Family and support teams can provide critical information, communication support, and decision-making support and comfort when people with disabilities are hospitalized. They should be seen as not just visitors, but essential partners in care.”

The groups are calling on Canada’s Minister of Health, Patti Haidu, to work with her provincial counterparts to ensure that the policies designating “essential” visitors/supports are immediately revised to include personal support workers, healthcare aides and family members who can assist people with disabilities, including many individuals with intellectual disabilities,in communicating with healthcare providers. 

“Unless urgent action is taken,” said Janz, “Ariis Knight could end up being just one of hundreds of people with communication disabilities to die alone and silenced.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Dr. Heidi Janz – Email : hjanz@ualberta.ca

Chair, CCD Ending-of-Life Ethics Committee

Dr Natalie Spagnuolo – Email : natalie.spagnuolo@gmail.com

CCD Social Policy Committee

April D’Aubin – Email: april@ccdonline.caapril@ccdonline.ca

Research Analyst

Thoughts About Ariis Knight and a Call to Step Up

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Full transcript:

Hi folks. It’s been a pretty emotional afternoon for us at DisabilityPride.net, for myself and Mary. This afternoon we learned of the death of Ariis Knight, who had cerebral palsy, and actually, Ariis had to go to emerge and did not get the medical treatment she needed or deserved and consequently, she died.

A big part of what happened, once again, was because she had cerebral palsy. There was a probably an attitude of, indirectly believing that her life was less valuable than someone who does not have CP. Unfortunately, ever since Robert Latimer murdered, and yes, I mean murdered. I use that word deliberately because that’s actually what it was. He murdered his disabled daughter Tracy, who had CP and ever since that, I find that the media has a habit of always, almost always, linking CP with intellectual disability, which is actually not common at all. I wish with all my heart that the media and others would stop doing that. Because the truth is, a  lot of people who have cerebral palsy are actually very intelligent and our lives are as valuable as anyone else’s.

What happened when Ariis went to emerge, she was not allowed to have someone with her to help her to communicate, which is another problem. Often people, whether it be doctors, nurses, bus drivers, people assume they cannot understand the person and as I always say, whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you’re probably right. It’s about attitude, it’s about recognizing the value of a person who has CP. It’s about recognizing their contributions to the world. It’s about realizing that they have friends, family, people who love them, people they teach and they assume, as well as those who would *presume it’s a two-way street.

This attitude of assuming that somebody who has cerebral palsy also has an intellectual disability has to stop. It has to stop. As soon as possible, because obviously, lives are at stake. Ariis lost her life because nobody gave her the opportunity to adequately communicate her needs, to communicate what was wrong, to communicate her fears. That’s something I understand very well because I know how frustrating and humiliating it is when whenever people think I have a comprehension problem. I don’t but yet, at times, I will get on a city bus and the bus driver will say “do you know your stop?”

What an outrageously stupid question. “Do you know your stop?” Part of me always wants to say “nah, I just thought I would get on here and let you figure out where I ‘m going.”

But honestly, even if I said that, 9 out of 10 times the driver would not bother to listen long enough to really get my sarcasm. Another thing Mary and I were talking about, if it was someone else in ariis’s situation, if it was a deaf person, if it was someone new to our country, they would almost certainly be allowed to have an interpreter or someone with them. Why was Ariis not allowed this? Why was the person she chose not allowed to be with her? Yes, I know Covid-19 is happening, and that’s scary enough all by itself but when you’re in the situation that Ariis was in, not being allowed to have someone to help you, in the last moments of your life…

I’m sorry, that is not acceptable. That is not. It’s just unspeakable. Something needs to change. So, our way of honoring Ariis at DisabilityPride.net is to make this video and try to tell as many people as we can this should never ever ever have happened. This is not ok. And this needs to be addressed by government, by medical professionals, by everyone, churches, clergy, teachers. C’mon people, it’s 2020. Let’s get a grip. Let’s respect every human life. Whether you knew Ariis or not, I didn’t know Ariis, but I know we have lost something that we should never have lost.

So, please just, remember her and next time, let’s not have this happen again. Sadly I know it will, but it shouldn’t. Let’s try not to have it happen. Thank you.