In the past five years, over 650 people with disabilities have been murdered by their parents, relatives or caregivers.
On Friday, March 1st, the disability community will gather across the nation to remember these disabled victims of filicide – disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers.
In the year since our last vigil, our community has lost over 70 more people to filicide. These are just the cases that we are aware of – since we began monitoring this issue, we learn about more murders every week. We read the victims’ names, see their photographs, and gather what information we can about their lives. The criminal justice system has continued to give lighter sentences to parents and caregivers who murder disabled children. And we have seen the news media continue to portray these murders in a sympathetic light. We hold the Day of Mourning vigils to draw attention to these injustices, to commemorate the lives of victims, and demand justice and equal protection under the law for all people with disabilities.
Since 2012, ASAN and other disability rights organizations have come together to send a clear message that disability is not a justification for violence. We’ll be at our local vigils on Friday, March 1st – and we hope to see you there.
If you cannot attend a vigil in-person, please consider taking part in our Virtual Vigil.
2019 Vigil Sites
USA
ARIZONA
Tucson, AZ
Tom Racey, [email protected]
CALIFORNIA
Berkeley, CA
BHS Neurodivergent Student Union, [email protected]
Claremont, CA
Donnie TC Denome, [email protected]
Oakland, CA
Mills College Disability Advocacy Club, [email protected]
Orange, CA
Chapman University, [email protected]
GEORGIA
Savannah, GA
Lydia X. Z. Brown, [email protected]
IDAHO
Moscow, ID
Tina Baldwin, [email protected]
ILLINOIS
Chicago, IL
Amaranthe Zinzani, [email protected]
KANSAS
Valley Center, KS
Sabrina Percival, s[email protected]
MAINE
Portland, ME
Maine Autism Collective, [email protected]
MARYLAND
College Park, MD
University of Maryland President’s Commission on Disability, [email protected]
MASSACHUSETTS
Lynn, MA
Anna Mackie, [email protected]
MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor, MI
Jeff Edelstein, [email protected]
NEW JERSEY
Edison, NJ
Alliance Center for Independence, [email protected]
Ewing, NJ
TCNJ Disability PRIDE, [email protected]
NEW YORK
Rochester, NY
Center for Disability Rights, [email protected]
Syracuse, NY
Disability Student Union, [email protected]
Troy, NY
ADAPT NY Capital Region, [email protected]
NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville, NC
University of North Carolina Asheville, [email protected]
Boone, NC
Autistic Students & Allies of the high country, [email protected]
OHIO
Kent, OH
Autism Connections Kent, [email protected]
PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown, PA
Muhlenberg Disability Advocacy Group, [email protected]
Collegeville, PA
Jennifer Stevenson, [email protected]
Philadelphia, PA
Aja Beech, [email protected]
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy, [email protected]
TENNESSEE
Johnson City, TN
Courtney Johnson, [email protected]
UTAH
Salt Lake City, UT
Neurodiverse Utah and Disability Caucus, [email protected], [email protected]
VIRGINIA
Charlottesville, VA
Ava Collins, [email protected]
Christiansburg, VA
New River Valley Disability Resource Center, [email protected]
Williamsburg, VA
William & Mary Neurodiversity Student Group, [email protected]
WASHINGTON STATE
Tri-Cities, WA
Carly Coburn, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC
DC Metro ADAPT, [email protected]
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee, WI
Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, [email protected]
CANADA
New Westminster, BC
Autistics United Vancouver- Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh Territory, [email protected]
Halifax, NS
Autistics United Nova Scotia, [email protected]
Winnipeg, MB
Autistics United Manitoba, [email protected]
Guelph, ON
Kinnery Chaparrel, [email protected]
Toronto, ON
Autistics for Autistics, [email protected]
CHINA
Shanghai, East China Normal University Zhongbei Campus
Holly Miller, [email protected]
AUSTRALIA
Brisbane
Kit McGuren, [email protected]
Perth
Samantha Connor, [email protected]
UNITED KINGDOM
Manchester
Emlyn Scott, [email protected]