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Elderly with Dementia have a "Duty to Die"?
By Hilary White
LONDON, September 19, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an interview, Baroness Mary Helen Warnock has said that people suffering dementia have a duty to commit suicide.
Baroness Warnock, called the "philosopher queen", is regarded as Britain's leading moral philosopher. She said that she hopes people will soon be "licensed to put others down" who have become a burden on the health care system.
(More at link) By Hilary White ... more -
One-legged man beats mother to death with crutch
A One-legged Queens man beat his 80-year-old mother to death with a crutch Friday - then called the cops to confess. "I just killed my mother and I don't know why," Sergeui Mamontov said, a police source told the Daily News.
When police arrived, they discovered that Mamontov had also tried to castrate himself, telling the officers he was "trying to remove the evil," a police source said.
Mamontov, 56, who lives in the same Far Rockaway building as his mother but in a different apartment, was taken to Bellevue Hospital. He has a history of mental illness and tried to commit suicide before, sources said.
Cops got the 911 call at 3:24a.m. and found Lyudmila Mamontova dead in apartment 6C. The bloody murder weapon lay nearby. They also found a bloody knife and the walker the elderly victim used to get around.
The Mamontov family emigrated from Ukraine and moved into the building a decade ago.
Neighbor Tatyana Smith said the suspect was an accomplished musician in the Ukraine, playing piano, guitar and drums despite missing some fingers on his right hand from a childhood accident.
Mamontov lost his right leg above the knee in a "freak accident" when he was struck by a car while he was working at a Long Island gas station, another family friend said.
"Everything was okay until three months ago when his workman's comp ran out and they took away his home attendant," a family friend said. A One-legged Queens man beat his 80-year-old mother to death with a crutch Friday - then called the cops to confess. "I just kil... more -
All-terrain wheelchairs to make disabled more mobile
Travis Watkins, an engineering student has designed a wheelchair that could enable the disabled to stay mobile even in environments previously not possible. These wheelchairs could roam across uneven, rocky and even sandy terrain.
The wheelchairs are made of a sturdy two-wheeled platform on which sits the chair. The off-road wheelchair kit costs $4,495 and the tray that can be attached costs $695. Rehab Ideas, an offshoot of the University of South Florida is behind the marketing of this new product that might give the disabled a new lease of life. Travis Watkins, an engineering student has designed a wheelchair that could enable the disabled to stay mobile even in environments pr... more -
Paralympic Athletes Accuse U.S.O.C. of Inequity
The Olympics for disabled athletes that begin Saturday in Beijing, Tony Iniguez will wear his Team U.S.A. uniform with pride. He will compete for his country’s Olympic program. He is also suing it for discrimination.
The United States is no stranger to disputes over discrimination against various groups and the provision of benefits for citizens, as the battle over universal health insurance indicates. But in this case the Paralympians are emphasizing their needs as athletes as much as their needs as citizens. They claim that races have been lost and medals squandered by their having to compete against athletes from nations such as Canada and Britain that support their disabled athletes virtually equally to Olympians.
In hearing the lawsuit brought by Iniguez and two retired wheelchair racers, the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals have ruled that the U.S.O.C. has the legal discretion to fund able-bodied and disabled athletes at different rates. (The case has been appealed to the Supreme Court.) But even the District Court judge who ruled against Iniguez in 2006 wrote: “Do I decry a culture that relegates Paralympians to second class status in the quantity and quality of benefits and support they receive from the U.S.O.C.? Emphatically yes.”
The U.S.O.C. says that equitable support to Paralympic athletes is unrealistic because the agency receives almost no government assistance, and Paralympic success does not generate enough increased revenue.
The U.S.O.C. says that equitable support to Paralympic athletes is unrealistic because the agency receives almost no government assistance, and Paralympic success does not generate enough increased revenue.
The most striking difference between the funding of Paralympic and Olympic athletes, some contend, is in the cash bonuses given for top performances. Olympic gold medalists in Beijing received $25,000 from the U.S.O.C. and often additional money from their national governing body; Paralympic gold medalists will get $5,000 from the U.S.O.C. alone. For 2007 competitions, the U.S.O.C. distributed $1.85 million in performance bonuses, none of it to Paralympic athletes, the U.S.O.C.’s Seibel confirmed. The Olympics for disabled athletes that begin Saturday in Beijing, Tony Iniguez will wear his Team U.S.A. uniform with pride. He will ... more -
Alice - Contact a Family for families with disabled children (Sturge-Weber Syndrom...
Ten-year old Alice was born with Sturge-Weber syndrome, a congenital disorder involving the brain, skin and eyes. This is the story of a family and their experiences in caring for a disabled child.
For more information on Sturge-Weber syndrome, please visit the Contact a Family directory: http://www.cafamily.org.uk/Direct/s63...
If you would like any information about specific conditions or rare disorders, you can access the Contact a Family Directory here:
http://www.cafamily.org.uk/dirworks.html
For more videos from Contact a Family, visit our channel here:
http://uk.youtube.com/user/cafamily
Freephone Helpline: 0808 808 3555
Textphone: 0808 808 3556
Email us: helpline@cafamily.org.uk Ten-year old Alice was born with Sturge-Weber syndrome, a congenital disorder involving the brain, skin and eyes. This is the story of... more -
Palestinian couple hid disabled children for 40 years
Few people in the West Bank town of Beit Awwa knew of Vasam Musalmeh and his sister Nawal.
Since they were children the disabled siblings were kept like animals in squalid, crumbling concrete rooms behind their parents’ house.
Before authorities found them last week they had been there for over 40 years.
Disabilities are still regarded as a social stigma in Palestine and the pair were hidden in the fear that they would ruin the marriage prospects of a healthy child.
Palestinian police found them during a raid on suspected Hamas loyalists and criminals in the village.
In a statement, police commander Samih Saify said that while searching the house, officers heard unusual noises and went to investigate. They found Basam Musalemeh, 38, naked and his 42-year-old sister wearing just a flimsy nightdress. The room was said to have stunk of urine and sweat.
The father was arrested although it was not clear whether this was due to the children’s situation or because he had links with the Hamas militant group.
The case has highlighted the shame felt by families who have children with disabilities in Palestinian society – made worse because of poor services and the practice of first-cousin marriages in Arab communities.
"This is sad, shameful and awful," said Imad Abumohr, a disabled rights activist, told reporters.
He said the Musalmeh case was shocking but not unheard of. He said last year they were called on to rescue a 17-year-old youth with mental disabilities who was thrown into a large rubbish bin. Few people in the West Bank town of Beit Awwa knew of Vasam Musalmeh and his sister Nawal. ... more -
Banned for drunk driving - in a wheelchair!
German bureaucrats have banned a disabled man from 'driving' for a month after he was caught drink driving – in his wheelchair.
Michael S. (20) of Hagen was stopped by police at 1:05am, when he was seen swerving back and forth in his electric wheelchair.
The student was on his way home from a birthday party and after drinking beer and schnapps, he could barely drive in a straight line. He even fell out of his chair at one point.
Because it was Michael’s first offence, the judge charged him with negligent drunkenness in street traffic and slapped him with a €100 fine. But the half-witted authorities didn't stop there and banned the disabled man from driving in his wheelchair for one month!
Michael said: “I didn’t know that I’m not allowed to drive drunk! I made a mistake but I am also dependent on my wheelchair.”
He appealed the decision at a higher court but the ban was not lifted. German bureaucrats have banned a disabled man from 'driving' for a month after he was caught drink driving – in his wheelcha... more -
'Tongue computing' could help disabled - CNN.com
The tireless tongue already controls taste and speech, helps kiss and swallow and fights germs. Now scientists hope to add one more ability to the mouthy muscle, and turn it into a computer control pad.
Georgia Tech researchers believe a magnetic, tongue-powered system could transform a disabled person's mouth into a virtual computer, teeth into a keyboard -- and tongue into the key that manipulates it all.
"You could have full control over your environment by just being able to move your tongue," said Maysam Ghovanloo, a Georgia Tech assistant professor who leads the team's research.
The group's Tongue Drive System turns the tongue into a joystick of sorts, allowing the disabled to manipulate wheelchairs, manage home appliances and control computers. The work still has a ways to go -- one potential user called the design "grotesque" -- but early tests are encouraging.
The system is far from the first that seeks a new way to control electronics through facial movements. But disabled advocates have particularly high hopes that the tongue could prove the most effective. The tireless tongue already controls taste and speech, helps kiss and swallow and fights germs. Now scientists hope to add one more ab... more -
Researchers look to the tongue to help the disabled
The tireless tongue already controls taste and speech, helps kiss and swallow and fights germs. Now scientists hope to add one more ability to the mouthy muscle and turn it into a computer control pad.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a university in Atlanta, believe a magnetic, tongue-powered system could transform a disabled person's mouth into a virtual computer, teeth into a keyboard, and tongue into the key that manipulates it all.
The group's Tongue Drive System turns the tongue into a joystick of sorts, allowing the disabled to manipulate wheelchairs, manage home appliances and control computers. The work still has a ways to go - one potential user called the design "grotesque" - but early tests are encouraging.
Ghovanloo's work centers on creating a virtual keyboard instead of a physical one. He does that through a magnet about three millimeters, or about one-tenth of an inch, wide that is placed under the tip of the tongue.
The magnet's movement is tracked by sensors on the side of each cheek, which sends data to a receiver atop a rather bulky set of headgear. It is then processed by software that converts the movement into commands for a wheelchair or other electronics.
It is an impressive display, and Ghovanloo said he hoped he could one day add dozens more commands that turn teeth into keyboards and cheeks into computer consoles. The tireless tongue already controls taste and speech, helps kiss and swallow and fights germs. Now scientists hope to add one more ab... more -
Beijing more wheelchair friendly
Even in modern China, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan gets a stark reminder that handicapped accessibility requires an adjustment in attitude Even in modern China, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan gets a stark reminder that handicapped accessibility requires an adjustment in atti... more
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Why do people violently attack the disabled? Does disability hate crime exist?
A handful of violent and degrading attacks on disabled people have provoked outrage among the press and public. But are they isolated cases or one end of a spectrum of intimidation and violence that many disabled people encounter?
Tom Shakespeare is an academic based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He is also a person of restricted growth. He was travelling on the city's metro recently when he was verbally humiliated and intimidated by a group of schoolgirls.
Was he a victim of a disability hate crime? Mr Shakespeare thinks not, but others in his position would be less forgiving of their tormentors. A handful of violent and degrading attacks on disabled people have provoked outrage among the press and public. But are they isolated ... more -
Disabled Tortoise Gets Action After Getting Wheelchair
Arava, the disabled tortoise, is using her new set of wheels to get around in more ways than one.
Keepers at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo say the 10-year-old spurred tortoise has begun mating since being fitted with custom wheels to overcome paralysis of her hind legs.
The 55-pound tortoise is unable to move herself forward with her front legs alone so the zoo's staff built her a metal board with two wheels that can be strapped around her shell.
"We don't really know the reason why the tortoise is paralyzed," zoo curator Shmulik Yedvad says. "We tried to find out the cause, we didn't find it. So instead of just leaving it to move only with front legs we invented wheels, but are attached to real legs, to move almost freely in the enclosure."
Arava arrived in Jerusalem a few months ago from a petting zoo in southern Israel with the unexplained handicap, and found no reptile romance.
Yedvad says it's not that Arava has come out of her shell with her unique new wheelchair, but that a particularly amorous 10-year-old male has been after her.
But despite some improvement, Arava still finds it difficult to get use to the new device.
The handicapped tortoise is not able to turn back over by herself and the employees at the zoo have to do it.
Also some male turtles trying to mate with her have not been able to do so easily because of the device.
"The wheelchair is a little bit heavy, so I hope in the future it will have a lighter one. They will develop better equipment so it will be easier for the turtle," a zoo keeper said. Arava, the disabled tortoise, is using her new set of wheels to get around in more ways than one. ... more -
Disabled tortoise uses new wheels to find love
Arave's a ten year old spurred tortoise, poor Arave became paralyzed in the rear legs and couldn't move as she just weighed too much to move her front legs.
Now, she has wheels! I think it's a great way to step forward for disabled tortoises of all species, not too many people think about them having disabilities. Why not? German shepherds often are given wheels in their back legs too as they often get arthrituis (foregive my spelling!) and that works great. Arave's a ten year old spurred tortoise, poor Arave became paralyzed in the rear legs and couldn't move as she just weighed ... more -
University bans student and dog from campus
Massey University has served a trespass order against a student who says she needs her dog beside her to help her with disabling panic attacks.
Melanie Donne has been barred after taking her dog on to the Palmerston North campus despite an earlier warning that to do so would breach university rules.
Ms Donne says she has a brain injury as a result of a car crash, and that her dog Rica can pre-empt disabling panic attacks. But Rica is not a registered disability dog.
Last month Ms Donne ignored Massey's warning and took Rica on to the campus for an extramural open day. She has now been served with a trespass order banning her from the campus.
Massey spokesman James Gardiner said it was rare to trespass a student, but there were special circumstances. Staff had met Ms Donne and told her that, if medical evidence was provided of her disability and need for assistance from a dog, the university was prepared to have Rica assessed for suitability to be on campus.
"She has not provided that evidence and it is disappointing that she has chosen to breach the rules relating to dogs and behave in a confrontational manner toward staff." Massey University has served a trespass order against a student who says she needs her dog beside her to help her with disabling panic... more -
Advocates for disabled to protest "Tropic Thunder"
Groups that advocate for the disabled called on Sunday for a national boycott of the Ben Stiller comedy "Tropic Thunder," citing what they say is its negative portrayal of people with intellectual disabilities.
"We are asking people not to go to the movie and hope to bring a consciousness to people about using derogatory words about this population," said Peter Wheeler, spokesman for Special Olympics, one of 22 disability groups nationwide protesting the satire.
The film, directed by Stiller, will be released on Wednesday by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures and its DreamWorks unit.
The groups plan to picket the movie's premiere on Monday evening in Los Angeles's Westwood community.
"That will be the start of a nationwide protest," said Wheeler. "We will continue to be vocal about the destructive effect of this film."
He said the groups are particularly offended by the film's repeated use of the word "retard" regarding a character, Simple Jack, played by Stiller in a subplot about an actor.
Representatives of the Special Olympics, the Arc of the United States, the National Down Syndrome Congress, the American Association of People with Disabilities and other groups met with studio executives last week to discuss the film, but DreamWorks did not make any changes.
Peter Berns, executive director the Arc, said in a memo the groups presented various ideas to the studio, from requesting an apology to fixing the film before its release, to producing a national educational campaign.
Chip Sullivan, a spokesman for DreamWorks said: "We have had productive discussions with representatives of disability advocacy organizations and look forward to working with them closely in the future. However no changes or cuts to the film will be made...
"'Tropic Thunder' is an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses, and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the top characters in ridiculous situations. The film is in no way meant to disparage or harm the image of individuals with disabilities," he said.
The film also features Robert Downey Jr. as a white actor who changes his skin color to play a black soldier.
Sullivan said that prior to the meetings, DreamWorks had taken down an online promotion, removing references to Simple Jack it felt could appear offensive when taken out of context.
The film was shown in more than 250 promotional screenings around the country since April. Groups that advocate for the disabled called on Sunday for a national boycott of the Ben Stiller comedy "Tropic Thunder," ci... more -
Nationwide ‘Thunder’ Boycott in the Works - NYTimes.com
A coalition of disabilities groups is expected as early as Monday to call for a national boycott of the film “Tropic Thunder” because of what the groups consider the movie’s open ridicule of the intellectually disabled. A coalition of disabilities groups is expected as early as Monday to call for a national boycott of the film “Tropic Thunder” because ... more
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Man's seven-mile scooter ordeal
A disabled man claimed he had to travel seven miles (11 km) home on his mobility scooter because a train was too full to allow him on.
Geoffrey Wali, 60, said he travelled from Fairbourne to Barmouth, Gwynedd in the morning, but was told he could not travel back on the 1645 train. Mr Wali said he had to make his own way home, finally arriving at 1930 BST. Arriva Trains Wales said their service should have been better and apologised for any distress caused. "I wanted to go to the bank in Barmouth and so I rang Arriva trains, which I have to do every time, but no-one answered," said Mr Wali about the incident. "I decided to chance it and they let me on, but on the way back the two carriages on the train were full.
"People were like sardines, some even standing with babies in their arms," he said. Mr Wali said he decided to try and make his own way to his home at the Springfield Hotel in Fairbourne.
Following the main roads would have meant a 13 mile (21km) journey, but he used a small toll bridge which cut his journey to around seven miles, he said. "I got back ok, but it was a bit traumatic as it's quite scary on a scooter when you are passed by cars and bikes."
He added: "I could understand it in winter, but it is disgusting that there were only two carriages on the train, as they do not seem to be catering to the holiday season at all." Hotel owner Geoff Brittain, said: "If a car had come around one of the corners Mr Wali would not have stood a chance whatsoever. "It is so dangerous when you think this is a 60mph road and the mobility scooter goes 8mph maximum."
Read more... A disabled man claimed he had to travel seven miles (11 km) home on his mobility scooter because a train was too full to allow him on.... more -
Can a disabled model make it?
"Kelly Knox has won a contest to become Britain's top disabled model, landing a photo shoot in the pages of a glossy magazine as a result.
The BBC3 programme Britain's Missing Top Model (BMTM) has stirred up controversy and debate as viewers watched eight girls with different disabilities battle it out for the title.
Based on the same format as America's Next Top Model and its British counterpart, the reality show followed the girls as they progressed through the competition.
But unlike its sister shows, BMTM was not offering a cast-iron contract to its winner - just the chance to meet with a modelling agency to see if they would sign her up.
Even the judges could not decide whether the winner would be able to turn their Marie Claire spread into a fully-fledged career as they discussed who would make the best role model.
In one episode, an able-bodied model provided a disturbing insight to the challenge they faced when she said to the camera: "God, New York would rather burn their city down than put a disabled model on the catwalk, I reckon."
What do you think? Is there room for a disabled model in the industry? "Kelly Knox has won a contest to become Britain's top disabled model, landing a photo shoot in the pages of a glossy magazin... more -
Disabled Teen dies from neglect.
"Four social workers were among nine people charged Thursday in the death of a disabled 14-year-old girl who authorities say wasted away from neglect before dying at 42 pounds.
Danieal Kelly's mother was charged with murder; counts against other defendants range from involuntary manslaughter to perjury. District Attorney Lynne Abraham said any of the nine could have foreseen the horrific fate of Danieal, whose emaciated body was found in her mother's squalid house covered with bone-deep, maggot-infested bedsores in August 2006.
Abraham had scathing words for the city's Department of Human Services, calling its handling of the case "callous, indifferent, unconscionable" — and all too familiar.
"Danieal did not fall through the cracks," she said. "It was a failure of institutional inclination. Saving Danieal was just too much trouble."
Two of the social workers are city employees; two others worked for a company hired by DHS. Department Commissioner Anne Marie Ambrose scheduled an afternoon news conference to discuss the case.
A 258-page grand jury report recommending the charges said not only that Andrea Kelly refused to get her daughter food, water and medical treatment, but that she repeatedly prevented one of her other children from calling an ambulance "for his obviously dying sister."
A listing for Andrea Kelly's attorney, Vincent Giusini, rang unanswered Thursday. It was not immediately clear if Daniel Kelly, 37, of Darby, had an attorney; two phone numbers listed in his name were disconnected.
Two employees of MultiEthnic Behavioral Health, a now-defunct company that DHS hired to provide social services to Danieal, falsified documents to cover up the fact they rarely, if ever, checked on her, the grand jury said.
Julius Murray and Mickal Kamuvaka were charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with public records."
Unbelievable. As I've said before, I work in the developmentally disabled field, in fact, at a local group home. This type of abuse and neglect is what I work so hard to fight against, and these stories sicken me.
The sad truth is, jobs like the one I have often don't pay enough, demand long hours, drain you emotionally, physically and mentally. But this, this is a matter of human rights.
Who is to blame for this? "Four social workers were among nine people charged Thursday in the death of a disabled 14-year-old girl who authorities say wast... more -
Disaboom and Purple Heart Service Foundation Create Jobs for Veterans
Disaboom, the premier online community for people touched by disability, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation this week announced that they have teamed up to launch a new employment venture for combat-wounded and disabled veterans. Guided by their respective mission statements, the two organizations anticipate that the financial benefits of the partnership will match the positive impact to the disabled veteran community. Disaboom, the premier online community for people touched by disability, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation... more
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