A panel on the impacts of changes to MAiD (Bill C-7) on Black Indigenous Queer and Poor Communities

Image description: White poster with black text and a thin red boarder. Poster says: Death By Coercion: a panel on the impacts of changes to medical assistance in dying on Black Queer Sick and Poor communities. February 1st from 6 PM - 8 PM. On the right side of the poster there is a large white fist with a red outline. Featuring @ALYSM745 (anonymous MAiD applicant), River Holland- Valade, Syrus Marcus Ware, and Trudo Lemmens. Logos include: Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO), Disabled Womens' Network of Canada, (DJNO), Inclusion Canada, Independent Living Canada, and The British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS).

Autonomy is an important part of our every day lives. Unfortunately, many people do not have equal autonomy when it comes to facing barriers around systemic ableism, anti black racism, legislated poverty through frozen social assistance rates, and coercion in our medical systems. Many disabled people in Canada cannot afford to eat, cannot afford prescription medications, and cannot afford an accessible place to live.

What does it mean for our governments to offer disabled people easier access to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) without offering disabled people adequate supports to live in Canada?

In this event we will hear from experts and disabled community members on the proposed changes in legal expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), Bill C-7. We will also explore the potential impacts of this expansion on Black, Indigenous Queer, Sick, Poor and incarcerated communities, and explore concerns around medical coercion.

This event is on February 1st from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Registrants will receive a Zoom link prior to the event. The event will also be broadcasted on the social media accounts @djnontario on Twitter and Instagram

Panelists Include:

-Syrus Marcus Ware, member of Black Lives Matter Toronto and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Canada

-River Holland- Valade, 2 Spirit, Indigenous youth activist and mental health worker at the Aboriginal Health Centre in Hamilton Ontario

-Trudo Lemmens, Law & Bioethics Prof at the University of Toronto

- @ALYSM745, an anonymous disabled person on the waiting list for receiving MAiD

This event is supported by: The Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO), Inclusion Canada, Disabled Women's Network of Canada (DAWN Canada), Independent Living Canada, and the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS).

Access: CART Captioning and ASL interpretation will be provided. For other access requirements, or to ask for more information, email: info@djno.ca

REGISTER HERE