Today's Tasks

Tell the IL, NY, or your State to Vote NO to Assisted Suicide!

The Illinois legislative session isn't over, and a bill that would allow for patient assisted suicide (PAS) with, from our view, no real guardrails, could be voted in by the IL Senate during our veto session (October or November), or reintroduced next year & gain traction. Two other places recently passed legislation to allow for PAS to be legal--one in the UK, which simultaneously slashed benefits for disabled people, & one in NY, which awaits Governor Kathy Hochul's agreement or veto. We have a diverse coalition opposing these bills, as we've seen them used as a form of eugenics. In Oregon, which allows for this, 72-77% of those who "chose" to die were on Medicare &/or Medicaid & tended to be low income, disabled, seniors, people with chronic conditions, & other marginalized groups. Please make sure you understand that this is not a "right"--Canada has a form of PAS that seems to steer disability &/or pain patients, low income citizens, & others to take their life, denying lifesaving treatment. Lives are more important than money. Here's how you can help!

Actions Needed

1) Take Action--No Matter where you Live

We need people to contact their elected officials. To do that, here is some info form Access Living, DREDF, RAMPD, & the Patients Rights Action Fund to use as a one page of what to say when you reach out! Please also spread the word to anyone you care about who may be harmed by these laws.

Talking Points to Help You

2) Promote Accessibility & Quality of Life!

We're a small nonprofit that is focused on disability & led by disabled women with other intersections. We pay a lot for features like ASL (our events are always free), to try to pay the disabled artists & writers we use, make sure our Zoom events are accessible (both in terms of volume & features), traveling to lobby for our community, web hosting, & more. If you have anything) to spare, please donate to us through ActBlue, which also benefits, as they get a small portion of proceeds. Every dollar helps-=-we rely on our small donors to do the work we do. THANK YOU!

Contribute to Accessibility & our Community

3) For IL Residents: Join the Coalition

SB 1950 was a bill about food safety, but at the last minute, PAS was put into it as an amendment.Access Living has worked very hard to protect the disability community.  If you sign up for their newsletter, you'll get the status of the assisted suicide bills & how to oppose them. If you prefer to contact them by phone & join the advocacy team, you can sign up here: Advocacy@accessliving.org, or contact them by phone at: (312) 640-2100. Please mention this when you reach out. 

Action Alerts

4) For New York Residents: what to do

New York recently passed an assisted suicide bill, but if you contact the governor, Kathy Hochul, she has the ability to veto this bill. This is very time-sensitive--please reach out ASAP! Contact info below, which includes both webforms & a number to call. Please also spread the word among your friends.

 

Contact NY's Governor ASAP

5) Spread the Word!

From our perspective, lot of people don't truly understand that the idea of patient assisted suicide (PAS) doesn't tend to work out the way it is claimed to work--there are few guardrails. For example, some states with PAS  bills/laws package their plans as being to end suffering. In actuality, there are very rarely even exams to screen patients for mental capacity, put layers into place that would prevent people from being able to access any medical forms to determine if their loved one died without coercion, and more. 

Many people don't realize that a doctor requested lifesaving treatment, which was denied by insurers, and PAS was suggested in its place. We need to never force someone into suicide without there being any way to account for actions like placing non-terminal patients on the PAS track & more. Please spread the word that Access Living shows on your Facebook pages!

 

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