Tomorrow, Saturday, March 1st, the disability community will gather virtually across the world to remember disabled victims of filicide [[link removed]] – disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers.
In the past five years, over 542 people with disabilities have been murdered by their parents, relatives or caregivers, and in the year since our last vigil, our community has lost over 50 more people to filicide. These are just the cases that we are aware of – since we began monitoring this issue, we learn about more murders every week. We read the victims’ names, see their photographs, and gather what information we can about their lives.
The criminal legal system continues to give smaller sentences to parents and caregivers who kill disabled people. This makes it seem like people with disabilities' lives are less important in the legal system than the lives of people without disabilities. News coverage of violence against disabled people often makes excuses for the people who hurt us. But violence against people with disabilities is not acceptable or understandable. We hold the Day of Mourning vigils to draw attention to the ways people with disabilities are not valued and to honor the lives of victims. We hold Day of Mourning to demand justice and equal protection under the law for all people with disabilities.
Since 2012, ASAN and other disability rights organizations have come together to send a clear message that disability is not a justification for violence [[link removed]]. Our site coordinators have been hard at work planning virtual events [[link removed]] that bring their local disability community together safely and significantly for this important day. Everyone is welcome at our Virtual Vigil [[link removed]], or click here to see a list of all vigils [[link removed]]. Feel free to choose one local to you, or plan to join one whose time or platform works best for you.
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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