We must overcome our cultural attitude that a disabled life is a - TopicsExpress

We must overcome our cultural attitude that a disabled life is a life not worth living. We must learn enough about the lives and thoughts of disabled people that we no longer have a knee jerk reaction of approval to suicide committed to avoid a disabling disease. And we must work to build a society that accommodates and includes disabled people, welcoming disabled people into the community of “us” rather than relegating disabled people to a pitied and feared “them” that “we can all agree” would have a perfectly valid reason to kill themselves..... So if you hear about Robin Williams’ Parkinson’s diagnosis and you are tempted to think it makes his suicide better, more rational, or even okay, STOP to THINK about what attitude you are carrying toward disability and why you are shocked at a suicide due to depression but only sad about a suicide due to disability. All these issues need to be read, pondered & openly discussed!