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HEALTH ETHICS TODAY
Volume
12, Number 1, Fall/November 2001
Disability and Ethics Initiative
Eleanor Stewart, PhD candidate
Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta
Canadians are well aware of the changes in publicly funded healthcare,
education, and social service programs. Particularly sensitive to
tensions in the delivery of healthcare are Canadians with disabilities.
High profile examples such as Rodrigez and Latimer have brought the
contentious issue of euthanasia as it relates to disability to the
public forum and rapid advancements in genetics have pressed boundaries
in many areas including disability. Despite the growing interest
in ethics generally, we lack an identifiable dialogue for addressing
the broader ethical dimensions of living with disabilities in Canada
today.
In 2000 the Disability and Ethics Initiative was created at the University
of Alberta in order to bring together scholars and students interested
in disability and ethics. The initiative aims to work across the university
and community to enlarge the dialogue on disability and ethics. Members
of the Disability and Ethics Initiative include: Vangie Bergum, Director,
John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, Doug Blackie, Coordinator, Health
Sciences Council, Al Cook, Dean, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine,
Peter Carver, Faculty of Law, Johanna Darrah, Department of Physical
Therapy, Rehabilitation Medicine, Mike Mahon, Dean of Physical Education
and Recreation, Gary McPherson, Physical Education and Recreation,
Dick Sobsey, Educational Psychology, Eleanor Stewart, PhD Student in
Rehabilitation Medicine/JDHEC, Stephen Bamforth, Medical Genetics,
Lynne Ray, Nursing, and Vicki Strang, Nursing. The initiative aims
to explore coordinated research and education opportunities for faculty
and students on topics of importance in the area of disability. To
that end, in the academic year 2000-2001, members worked toward the
development of a vision statement and successfully sponsored a number
of educational events:
1) Annual Perspectives on Disability and the Law in the Faculty of
Law on 27-28 November 2000, in which rehabilitation medicine students
joined the law students;
2) In November, Ruth Enns, author of A Voice Unheard: The Latimer
Case and People with Disabilities, presented a lecture for the Perspectives
Unit and a public lecture entitled, "The Latimer case and attitudes
toward disabled people." Ms. Enns met with members to discuss
her perspective as a writer and advocate for Canadians with disabilities;
3) Dr. Anita Silvers, Professor of Philosophy, San Francisco State
University, coordinated with the Provincial Health Ethics Network,
the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, and the Office of Human Rights
at the University of Alberta. Dr. Silvers presented two lectures. The
first lecture, "Disability, difference, and discrimination" was
coordinated with the Alberta Rehabilitation Continuous Learning Network
(ARCLN) as a videoconference. A videotape of this lecture is available
by contacting Bronwen Jack at ARCLN (bronwen.jack@ualberta.ca). Dr.
Silvers' second lecture, "Health care and social justice for people
with disabilities" was an evening public lecture. The visiting
lecturers were funded by Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
The Disability and Ethics Initiative looks forward to another successful
year in 2001-2002 with plans to continue its sponsorship of visiting
speakers/ lecturers, to launch a brown bag lunch discussion series,
and to consolidate its efforts to build a foundation for a respectful
dialogue on ethics and disability through research and education. The
Disability and Ethics Initiative is seeking links to other centres
with similar mandates.
Upcoming events for 2001-2002 include:
1) Eleanor Stewart, Doctoral Candidate presents a paper entitled, "Surveying
the possibilities for a disability theory" at the Canadian Bioethics
Society Annual Conference in Winnipeg, October 11-14. And at the University
of Alberta on 15 October 2001.
2) On 25-26 October 2001, Jerome Bickenbach, Professor of Law, Queen's
University, will address the Perspectives on Disability and the Law
in the Faculty of Law. It is hoped that this coordinated effort will
increase opportunities for students from a variety of disciplines to
dialogue on issues of common concern in the area of disability.
3) In May 2002, the Initiative welcomes the opportunity to participate
with the L'Arche Association of Edmonton in hosting a public lecture
by Jean Vanier. Dr. Vanier is well known as the founder of the L'Arche,
an international organization of Christian communities that promotes
the values of dignity, respect, and personal worth for people with
developmental disabilities and those who live with them (see their
website at: www.larchecananda.org).
If you are interested in the work of the Disability and Ethics Initiative,
please contact Eleanor Stewart at ges@ualberta.ca.
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