U.S, State Department Sport for Community Exchange Program for 2016 Promotes Disability Rights

from a Press Release on May 16, 2016
U.S. Department of State

The U.S. Department of State welcomes 15 international emerging leaders who work in the field of disability sports to the United States May 16 - June 16 on the new Sport for Community exchange program. The exchange focuses on disability rights and inclusion and pairs participants with American executives for mentorships.

In the lead up to the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, these emerging leaders will spend a month at top disability sports organizations. Working side-by-side with their mentors, the participants will develop strategic action plans designed to create opportunities for people with disabilities, enabling them to experience the benefits of sports: expanded professional networks, increased independence, and enhanced health. While in Washington, participants will have opportunities to network, share their perspectives as professionals in disability sports overseas, and learn about the history of the American disability rights movement and U.S. sports culture.

The roster of emerging leaders includes Paralympians, heads of National Paralympic Committees, social entrepreneurs, and disability sport advocates. This year’s participants hail from Belarus, Brazil, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Ukraine. The mentors represent Ability360, Chicago Park District, Glideslope, Lakeshore Foundation, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers, Turnstone, U.S. Association of Blind Athletes, University of Alabama, U.S. Olympic Committee, and University of Texas at Arlington.

The program is conducted in partnership with the University of Tennessee’s Center for Sport, Peace, and Society, which also implements the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program to empower women. Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #S4C2016. 

For more information, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/257273.htm

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is MAY 19 2016

On Thursday, May 19 2016 and mark the fifth Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to get people talking, thinking and learning about digital (web, software, mobile, etc.) accessibility and users with different disabilities.

The idea of a Global Accessibility Awareness Day started with a single blog post written by a Los Angeles-based web developer, Joe Devon. Jennison Asuncion, an accessibility professional from Toronto discovered Joe’s blog post purely by accident thanks to Twitter. After reading it, he immediately contacted Joe and they joined forces, leveraging their extensive and respective networks to realize the event.

For the  Global Accessibility Awareness Day website, visit:
http://www.globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/

Watch this interview of GAAD co-founder, Jennison Asuncion, by Dr. Jonathan Hassell.

YouTube Published by Jonathan Hassell

EEOC Issues Final Rules on Employer Wellness Programs

from a Press Release on May 16, 2016
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Rules Address Incentives; Protect Confidentiality

WASHINGTON, DC--The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued final rules that describe how Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply to wellness programs offered by employers that request health information from employees and their spouses. The two rules provide guidance to both employers and employees about how workplace wellness programs can comply with the ADA and GINA consistent with provisions governing wellness programs in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as amended by the Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act).

The rules permit wellness programs to operate consistent with their stated purpose of improving employee health, while including protections for employees against discrimination.  The rules are available in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/05/17/2016-11558/regulations-under-the-americans-with-disabilities-act and https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/05/17/2016-11557/genetic-information-nondiscrimination-act. EEOC also published question-and-answer documents on both rules today, available at https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/qanda-ada-wellness-final-rule.cfm and https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/qanda-gina-wellness-final-rule.cfm, and two documents for small businesses https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/facts-ada-wellness-final-rule.cfm and https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/facts-gina-wellness-final-rule.cfm.

Many employers offer workplace wellness programs intended to encourage healthier lifestyles or prevent disease. These programs sometimes use medical questionnaires or health risk assessments and biometric screenings to determine an employee's health risk factors, such as body weight and cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure levels. Some of these programs offer financial and other incentives for employees to participate or to achieve certain health outcomes.

The ADA and GINA generally prohibit employers from obtaining and using information about employees' own health conditions or about the health conditions of their family members, including spouses. Both laws, however, allow employers to ask health-related questions and conduct medical examinations, such as biometric screenings to determine risk factors, if the employer is providing health or genetic services as part of a voluntary wellness program. Last year, EEOC issued proposed rules that addressed whether offering an incentive for employees or their family members to provide health information as part of a wellness program would render the program involuntary.   

The final ADA rule provides that wellness programs that are part of a group health plan and that ask questions about employees' health or include medical examinations may offer incentives of up to 30 percent of the total cost of self-only coverage. The final GINA rule provides that the value of the maximum incentive attributable to a spouse's participation may not exceed 30 percent of the total cost of self-only coverage, the same incentive allowed for the employee. No incentives are allowed in exchange for the current or past health status information of employees' children or in exchange for specified genetic information (such as family medical history or the results of genetic tests) of an employee, an employee's spouse, and an employee's children. 

The final rules, which will go into effect in 2017, apply to all workplace wellness programs, including those in which employees or their family members may participate without also enrolling in a particular health plan. 

"The EEOC received comments on both rules from a broad array of stakeholders and considered them carefully in developing this final rule," said EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang. "The Commission worked to harmonize HIPAA's goal of allowing incentives to encourage participation in wellness programs with ADA and GINA provisions that require that participation in certain types of wellness programs is voluntary.  These rules make clear that the ADA and GINA provide important safeguards to employees to protect against discrimination."

Program Design

Both rules also seek to ensure that wellness programs actually promote good health and are not just used to collect or sell sensitive medical information about employees and family members or to impermissibly shift health insurance costs to them.  The ADA and GINA rules require wellness programs to be reasonably designed to promote health and prevent disease.

Protecting Confidentiality

 The two rules also make clear that the ADA and GINA provide important protections for safeguarding health information. The ADA and GINA rules state that information from wellness programs may be disclosed to employers only in aggregate terms. 

The ADA rule requires that employers give participating employees a notice that tells them what information will be collected as part of the wellness program, with whom it will be shared and for what purpose, the limits on disclosure and the way information will be kept confidential. GINA includes statutory notice and consent provisions for health and genetic services provided to employees and their family members. 

Both rules prohibit employers from requiring employees or their family members to agree to the sale, exchange, transfer, or other disclosure of their health information to participate in a wellness program or to receive an incentive. 

The interpretive guidance published along with the final ADA rule and the preamble to the GINA final rule identify some best practices for ensuring confidentiality, such as adopting and communicating clear policies, training employees who handle confidential information, encrypting health information, and providing prompt notification of employees and their family members if breaches occur.

EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.

https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/5-16-16.cfm

Retailer Lowe's to Pay $8.6 Million to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit

photo: Lowe's workers collect shopping carts

from a Press Release on May 13, 2016
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Retail Home Improvement and Appliance Store Chain Fired Thousands of Workers With Disabilities Due to Rigid Leave Policy, Federal Agency Charges

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the approval of the resolution of a nationwide disability discrimination case against home improvement, appliance and hardware giant Lowe's. U.S. District Court Judge André Birotte Jr. approved the consent decree which calls for the distribution of $8.6 million.

According to EEOC's suit, Lowe's violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and engaged in a pattern and practice of discrimination against people with disabilities by firing them and by failing to provide reason­able accommodations to them when their medical leaves of absence exceeded Lowe's 180-day (and, subsequently, 240-day) maximum leave policy. EEOC also charged that Lowe's violated the ADA by terminating individuals who were "regarded as" disabled, had a record of disability, and/or were associated with someone with a disability.

In addition to monetary relief, the four-year consent decree settling the suit requires that Lowe's retain a consultant with ADA experience to review and revise company policies as appro­priate; implement effective training for both supervisors and staff on the ADA; develop a centralized tracking system for employee requests for accommoda­tion; maintain an accommodation log; and post documentation related to this settlement. Lowe's is also required to submit regular reports to EEOC verifying compliance with the decree.

Any person terminated by Lowe's between Jan. 1, 2004, and May 13, 2010, after having taken the maximum amount of leave then available under Lowe's leave-of-absence policies, can go to www.loweseeocsettlement.com or email lowes.settlement@eeoc.gov or call 1-855-725-4456 for more information on how to complete a claim form.

"This settlement sends a clear message to employers that policies that limit the amount of leave may violate the ADA when they call for the automatic firing of employees with a disability after they reach a rigid, inflexible leave limit," said EEOC General Counsel David Lopez. "We hope that our efforts here will encourage employers to voluntarily comply with the ADA."

Anna Park, the regional attorney for EEOC's Los Angeles District Office, added, "We applaud the efforts by Lowe's in reaching a resolution with EEOC that provides both meaningful monetary relief and important equitable relief for thousands of former Lowe's employees. We encourage people impacted by this situation to come forward and make a claim."

In response to the news of the settlement, charging party Gary White said, "I'm very pleased with all the efforts of those with EEOC. It feels great to have closure in this matter. My sincere thanks!"

According to company information, Lowe's, a Fortune 50 company headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., operates more than 1,840 home improvement and hardware stores across North America. In 2014, company revenues totaled $56.2 billion.

Addressing emerging and developing issues under the ADA is one of six national priorities identified by EEOC's Strategic Enforcement Plan.

EEOC is the federal government agency responsible for enforcing federal anti-discrimin­ation laws in the workplace. Further information about EEOC is available on the agency's website at www.eeoc.gov.

https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/5-13-16.cfm

Legal Webinar: Higher Education and the ADA - May 18th (rsvp)

The Great Lakes ADA Center along with the ADA National Network invite you to join the ADA Legal Webinar session on May 18th titled:  Higher Education and the ADA featuring Barry Taylor and Rachel Weisburg, Equip for Equality, Chicago, IL.

Date:   May 18, 2016

Time:   1:00pm-2:30pm CDT

Description:    Colleges, universities and community colleges are covered by either Titles II or III of the ADA. Questions frequently arise about the types of reasonable accommodations and modifications required under the ADA, including accessible educational materials, as well as the rights of students who are dismissed from school because of their disability. This webinar will review the relevant federal regulations and case law in this quickly developing arena. Illinois CLE certificate will be provided.

Registration is free and available on-line at www.ada-legal.org (you will be required to establish an account if you don’t already have one).

Certificate Of Attendance and Illinois CLE’s available for this session.

The session will be closed captioned via the webinar platform.

Questions should be directed to webinars@adaconferences.org or by calling 1-877-232-1990 (V/TTY)

Things Nobody Tells You About Being Depressed

With May being Mental Health Month, we would like to share a BuzzFeed article from 2014 on depression,

So you’re sad all the time and don’t want to do stuff. It’s actually way more complicated than that.

article by Alexis Nedd BuzzFeed Staff | July 9, 2014

1. Most of the things people will say to help you are profoundly and dangerously unhelpful.

Thanks to a plethora of misinformation about what depression actually is, people often seem to think that saying things like “just be happier,” “don’t be depressed,” and “just try harder” are legitimate pieces of advice. They are not.

2. It physically hurts.

In the human body’s least amusing attempt at metaphor, many depressed people report physical symptoms like muscle ache, joint pain, and stabbing sensations in the chest. If you are depressed and feeling pain, check with your doctor to discuss possible causes.

3. Asking for help feels counterintuitive.

One of the many lies depression will tell you is that nobody cares about you, so you won’t want to “bother” people by reaching out to them. Fight this lie. Wrestle it to the ground. Punch it in the face. Somebody will listen to you.

4. Your relationship with food changes to “it’s complicated.”

Whatever moderation there is between “forgetting to eat for a day” and “eating all of the things” just isn’t on the menu anymore. Poor eating habits can make depression worse, though, so seek medical help if your diet becomes worrisome for you.

5. Some “friends” might ditch you (and that is OK).

Some of your so-called friends won’t know how to be around you and will vanish in the haze. Let them go and keep doing you. It’s the people who stay that will make a difference.

6. You feel like you are absolutely losing your mind.

Depression is a shape-shifting mental disorder; it co-manifests with panic attacks, compulsive thoughts and habits, social phobia, and any number of other issues. Remember that you are not “crazy.” You are sick and you can get better.

7. Everything will start to annoy you. Even you will start to annoy you.

Irritability is a symptom of depression that doesn’t get enough attention. Feeling grumpy is just a part of the process, and you shouldn’t be made to feel bad about it.

8. Everyday tasks will feel overwhelming.

Something as simple as making a bowl of cereal suddenly has too many steps and now you’re frustrated with yourself and oh dear, don’t cry…

9. It’s nearly impossible to tell when it’s just your “depression talking.”

Trying to tell your healthy, rational thoughts apart from the stuff that wouldn’t cross your mind if you weren’t depressed is like scooping only the pee out of a swimming pool, but being able to tell that difference is an important step on the road to recovery.

10. Depression will wreak havoc on your sleep schedule.

You can’t sleep when you want to, but when you actually have somewhere to be you get knocked out with a completely unplanned, five-hour nap.

11. Depression can also mean not feeling anything at all.

If you’re depressed it’s assumed that you’re sad, but depression can also make you feel numb and/or emotionally exhausted. No matter what other people say, that’s still depression; if you feel emotionally numb or blank you should report it to your doctor or therapist.

12. It’s incredibly boring.

Imagine that you can only watch one thing on Netflix, and it’s an 80-season show with 24-hour episodes. Imagine that you have no interest in this show or its characters or its plot. When you are depressed, your life might feel like that TV show. Try to distract yourself for brief periods of time with anything that will hold your attention and stave off the boredom, however temporary the distraction is.

13. You’ll feel guilty.

What’s worse than being depressed? Feeling like you’re a selfish, ungrateful failure for having a disorder you can’t control. This is a common depressive thought, and is not true. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you identify depressive thoughts and emotions (like guilt) and can give you tools to work through these feelings.

14. Probably because people will tell you things that make you feel judged.

Yes, people are starving. Yes, there are people with “real problems.” That doesn’t make you any less sick.

15. Your dreams get weird.

Some studies say that as people move through the stages of their depression, the content and quality of their dreams fluctuate.

16. Mirrors become your worst enemy.

Low self-esteem is a symptom of depression, so your mirror can remind you of how much you dislike the way you look or who you are. Sometimes it’s best to just cover them up for a few days.

17. Depression will seem like a “logical” state to be in.

Some studies show that depressed people have an unusually realistic worldview, so you might rationalize your depressive thinking (“I am a bad person”) as an incontrovertible fact. This is not true, and therapy can help you understand how depression flaws your logic.

18. So you will earnestly argue with people over how terrible you are.

“I think you’re awesome.”
“NO YOU DON’T, I’M CLEARLY THE WORST PERSON EVER GO AWAY.”

19. Trying to reenter society after being depressed for a long time is very awkward.

It might be a while before you feel good around people again, so it’s OK to take your time and slowly reintroduce yourself into social situations.

20. You won’t be able to think clearly about your future.

Not only does this nuke your capacity for hope, it also renders meaningless the idea that at some point things will get better. If you feel like this, please take steps to seek medical help or talk to a trusted friend or counselor.

21. Depression will make you feel that you are alone. You are not alone.

If you need information on depression or want to talk about your depression, you can call the Crisis Call Center at any time of the day. Their national number is 1-800-273-8255 and all calls are free of charge.
If you don’t like talking on the phone but still want to be heard, forums like the Reddit boards r/depression and r/anxiety have strong communities of people who may be working through an illness similar to yours.
For more information on your depression, the National Alliance on Mental Illness has up-to-date research in the field of psychology as well as articles and fact sheets on mental illness.
To find a doctor or support group in your area, try searching on the Healthfinder for nearby support groups or use this GoodTherapy online tool to locate therapists in your area.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexisnedd/things-nobody-tells-you-about-being-depressed?utm_term=.apPy5bJ6L#.saxmBJqYv

An evening of Integrated Dance, Chicago Accessible Performances on Saturday, May 21st

Access Living, Bodies of Work and Momenta Dance Company present:

Counter Balance, an evening of Physically Integrated Dance
Saturday, May 21 at 2pm and 7pm
Victory Gardens Theatre,2433 North Lincoln Ave.,
Chicago, IL , 60614
 
Featuring Works by:
 Anita Fillmore Kenney, Ginger Lane, Laurel Lawson, James Morrow, Sarah Najera, Douglas Scott (Full Radius), and Alice Sheppard
 
With Performances by:
Nura Aly, nili R. Broyer, Gia Falzone, Lisa Green, Stephanie Kanter, Ginger Lane, Kris Lenzo, Linda Mastandrea, Sarah Najera
And Guest Performances by:
James Falzone, Laurel Lawson and Alice Sheppard
 
TICKETS:
Matinee: Adults $15 / Students and People with disabilities $10 / Kids 10 and under are $5 Evening: Adults $20 / Students and people with disabilities $12 / Kids 10 and under are $5
 
GROUP TICKETS:
For groups of 10 or more - $10 per member of group
 
TICKETS AND GROUP SALES:

http://victorygardens.org/also-playing/counter-balance/

 
ALSO ON FRIDAY, MAY 20:
FREE MOVEMENT WORKSHOP w/ALICE SHEPPARD
5pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/1686628241601208/

Illinois Disability Advocates Voice Concerns with States Personal Assistant OT Rule, Confront Gov Rauner

In Springfield, IL on May 11, 2016, in unity disability and labor advocates from Chicago ADAPT, Access Living- CIL in Chicago, and SEIU HCII joined together as advocates. Governor Rauner was speaking at an event at the State Library, the advocates protested during the event, effectively shutting things down, the way we feel when our concerns about the overtime policy are not take to heart.

YouTube Published by seiuhealthcareilin on May 11, 2016

# # # 

Home health workers, clients grapple with State of Illinois OT rule

nice article by DAN PETRELLA,  Herald and Review Springfield Bureau Chief | May 11, 2016

SPRINGFIELD — Ginger Grant of Charleston earns $13 an hour as an in-home personal assistant for a woman with multiple sclerosis.

Under the woman’s plan through the Illinois Department of Human Services’ home services program, she qualifies for nearly 60 hours of care per week. But under new department rules that took effect May 1, Grant and roughly 24,000 other personal assistants across the state are no longer allowed to work more than 40 hours a week.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration instituted the rules in response to a federal Department of Labor ruling that said home care providers must receive time-and-a-half overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours per week. The administration said the overtime restrictions, which it announced in November and twice delayed, are necessary to control costs.

For Grant’s client, though, it means a scramble – so far, unsuccessful – to find another personal assistant who can help her with tasks such as1 cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and even scratching her head.

“It’s difficult to find somebody who wants to do this work for the few hours that would be left over,” Grant said Wednesday while testifying before an Illinois House committee that’s reviewing the new rules.

Grant works on call so that her client can get help with things such as going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, if needed. But with Grant’s help, the woman is able to remain in her own home rather than having to go into a nursing home, which could end up costing the state a lot more in the long run, she said.

“She does not care to be there,” Grant said. “That’s not where she belongs. She’s a valued member of her community. She contributes to her community by paying taxes.”

Grant and other personal assistants who provide care for about 30,000 clients statewide are represented by the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois. The union estimates that paying overtime would cost the state $7 million per year out of roughly $36 billion in overall state spending.

The union, its workers and the clients they serve also object to a “three strikes and you’re out” policy that would bar personal assistants from being paid through the program if they work overtime three times without permission.

Grant said her client hasn’t been able to find enough backup workers take on the extra hours.

“What am I supposed to do when I have my 40 hours a week?” she said. “Am I just supposed to leave my consumer and say, ‘Too bad because Gov. Rauner says I can’t work any more hours’?”

Susan Aarup of Chicago, who has cerebral palsy and has three personal assistants who help care for her, said it’s very hard to find backups who can help out in the event that one of them gets sick or needs time off.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to hire new PAs,” Aarup said, noting that she interviewed someone but wasn’t able to hire her because it was taking six months for the applicant to go through the approval process at the department.

Greg Bassi, chief of staff for the Department of Human Services, said the state has put in place rules governing the use of overtime in the program similar to those used in other departments and at other employers in order to manage costs.

“Despite what was said earlier, we are not going to be applying this policy in a draconian manner,” Bassi told the committee.

He said the department first announced the changes in November and pushed back implementation twice to give providers and consumers more time to adapt. The department has also stepped up recruiting efforts, hiring 5,000 personal assistants, Bassi said.

But Terri Harkin, vice president of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, said that represents the usual turnover of employees paid under the program, not an overall addition of providers.

SEIU and the state are currently in contract negotiations, and Harkin said the administration has tried to use the overtime rules as a bargaining chip to get the union to agree to a four-year wage freeze.

Meanwhile, the Senate voted Wednesday to raise the state’s minimum wage for home health care workers, including the personal assistants, to $15 an hour.

http://herald-review.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/home-health-workers-clients-grapple-with-state-ot-rule/article_2ea79e59-c0e5-5404-a1fd-f58da95ee862.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

#  #  #

If you need help, with personnel assistants, contact the local Center for Independent Living in your area of Illinois INCIL - http://www.incil.org/

Webinar May 24 - National Disability Voter Registration Week (July 11-15) Organizing & Training

National Disability Voter Registration Week
Organizing & Training Webinar
May 24, 2016 | 3pm ET

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National Disability Voter Registration Week
July 11-15, 2016

The REV UP Campaign is coordinating a National Disability Voter Registration Week to increase the political power of people with disabilities while also engaging candidates and the media to recognize the disability community.

To help prepare for National Disability Voter Registration Week, the REV UP Campaign will host an organizing webinar on Tuesday, May 24th at 3pm ET. The purpose of the webinar is aid organizers across the country to hold their own voter registration events - both physically and online - to increase the number of people with disabilities who are registered to vote and ultimately the number of people with disabilities who cast their ballots on election day this November and in future elections.

The webinar with be live captioned. Please submit all accommodation requests when you complete the online registration form.

TO REGISTER - CLICK HERE!

The REV UP Campaign aims to increase the political power of the disability community while also engaging candidates and the media on disability issues.REV UP stands for Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!

For more information about the REV UP Campaign and resources to start organizing in your state please visit www.aapd.com/REVUP.
on social media please RT #VoteDisability

Chicago Mom Gave Disabled Daughter Overdose, feared her daughter would be put in an institution

photo: Bonnie Liltz adopted her daughter Courtney

(Chicago - May, 2016) Bonnie Liltz of Chicago botched her suicide after giving a lethal overdose of pills to her disabled daughter - and now faces up to 14 years behind bars.

Bonnie Liltz, 56, pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter after the initial charge of murder was dropped.

Liltz gave the lethal dose of medication to her 28-year-old, adopted disabled daughter, Courtney, who suffered from cerebral palsy.

Her motive: She thought she was dying and feared her daughter would be put in an institution.
Liltz truly believed her death would make her daughter's already challenging life infinitely worse. She saw the overdose as an opportunity to end further suffering before it began. But she also pled guilty to taking her daughter's life - an act regarded as wrong by society and under the law.

DAILY MAIL says Lilts believed she was doing the right thing

Although she could face a maximum of 14 years in prison, she seemed to be in good spirits as she exited the courtroom a year after the death of her daughter.

NBC CHICAGO Rules Out Malice

Nine witnesses testified Tuesday that Liltz was a loving, caring mother to a disabled child who had been given up by her birth mother as well as her first adoptive parents.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE Blames The System

Liltz's arrest in June cast a spotlight on the anguish parents of the profoundly disabled can face over what will happen to their children after they die.

Liltz developed her fear of institutional living in 2012 when she was hospitalized for cancer, according to authorities. While she was receiving treatment, Courtney had to stay in a private facility, which she regarded as subpar.

But it was in 2015, when she feared was dying, Liltz made the decision that both she and her daughter should die by her hand.

She broke the medication capsules apart and placed the powder in Courtney's feeding tube, before ingesting some herself, authorities said.

While some observers might regard the overdose-suicide attempt as an act of selfishness, those closest to her say she did it out of love.

"Bonnie really believed she was dying and didn't want to leave Courtney, the love of her life, in the hands of someone else," said Susan Liltz, Bonnie's sister.

                                                                   Disabled Daughter

After the 2012 incident, Bonnie lost all trust in allowing others to care for her daughter. She left a note saying she simply could not leave her disabled daughter behind in the event of her death.

"I am so sorry to put you all through this but I can't leave my daughter behind. ... I go first, what will happen to her?" the note read. "I don't want her to live in an institution for the rest of her life. She is my life."

Prosecutors in the case appear to be exercising leniency in the case, taking numerous accounts by friends and family members that she was indeed a loving and caring mom into consideration. They have not yet requested for a specific sentence.

The case of Bonnie and her daughter, Courtney, is tragic, and it highlights the need to improve care for the severely disabled. It's also worth noting that while the law needs enough room to consider exceptional cases compassionately and fairly, we shouldn't forget that Bonnie had no right take her daughter's life. She had no right to make that decision - even when her daughter couldn't - just as doctors have no right to kill terminally ill patients.

http://www.epictimes.com/05/11/2016/chicago-mother-botched-murder/