September is Suicide Prevention Month, and this week’s WAM featured a Statement of Solidarity from Not Dead Yet that NCIL has signed on to. We hope that CILs will sign on individually as well, so that we can generate a large list of those who stand in solidarity with the values of suicide prevention.
The disability, aging, and military and veteran communities are at increased risk of suicide; members of these communities are more likely to end their lives and to experience pressure to do so. People with disabilities frequently receive messages that we are burdens on those we love, and that our lives are not worth living. On top of that, people with disabilities often lack access to necessary services and supports that make community participation and integration possible. Without significant changes to the discriminatory and exclusionary practices and policies that people with disabilities still face, the alarming suicide rates in our community will not likely change. This is not acceptable.
In an effort to highlight this reality, Not Dead Yet has written a Statement of Solidarity in Observance of Suicide Prevention Month that affirms the values of dignity, diversity, and full participation. The statement also shines a light on the shameful deficits in our current healthcare and long-term services systems that so many in our community rely on.
We encourage you to review the Statement and consider signing on your Center. Please also consider sending this out to your networks. To sign on, send an email to [email protected] noting your organization’s name as you’d like it to appear and the state in which you are located. Please send your sign-on as quickly as possible, but NDY will be receiving sign-ons until close of business, September 25, 2015.
