03/07/2008 - 03/14/2008
A Regina (Canada) woman has been awarded $6,800 for discrimination by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal on the basis of a disability after she lost her job at a fast-food outlet.
The sentencing of Karen McCarron has been delayed for three weeks. McCarron was found guilty on January 17 of using a plastic bag to suffocate her daughter Katherine ("Katie"), who had autism.
Shirley Cheng, a blind and physically disabled award-winning author and poet, has received The Avatar Award for spiritual excellence for her book Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings. It is her fourth award for this book.
Jack Kevorkian, who is an advocate of assisted suicide, says he plans to run for Congress. Kevorkian is on parole since his release from prison last year after serving the minimum of a term for second-degree murder in one man's death. He said he plans to run without party affiliation for the seat now held by Republican Joe Knollenberg, who is running for re-election, he Oakland Press reported Wednesday.
The release of the former Sumter County Disabilities director (SC, WIS), who is accused of sexually abusing three people - two of whom are disabled - over a period of 13 years, has been questioned by the Sumter chief of police.
Students at an Alberta (Canada) school for the deaf suffered sexual and physical abuse, according to a law suit. The law suit is the first of several lawsuits launched on behalf of more than 61,500 students alleging abuse of deaf students across Canada.
The parents of a girl with Down syndrome subjected their daughter to three sets of cosmetic surgery before she was five-years-old because they believe it will help her to fit in with her peers. The parents of another girl are also considering have her appearance surgically altered because they too believe it will help her become "more accepted." Their story is here.
Republican Senator Sam Brownback has teamed up with Democrat Senator Edward Kennedy on a bill that aims to reduce the number of abortions that are tied to genetic disorders.
Criminal charges were dismissed this week against a Michigan man accused of raping his 15-year-old daughter. The girl, who has autism, is nonverbal, and used a facilitator to make the allegations.
