TBI Survivors and Human Rights
People with TBI have the same human rights afforded to other human beings. We have the right to:
Accommodations in society, the workplace and at school that are reasonable and necessary
Related Article: Local and County Services
Appropriate and Accurate Diagnosis
Related Article: Classification of TBI
Related Article: PostConcussion Syndrome
Related Article: Post TBI Syndrome
Related Article: PCS and PTSD
Ask Questions and Demand Answers and Accountability
Related Article: Criteria for Rating Sites
Assess and Evaluate Those Who Provide Services to Us
Related Article: Satisfaction Survey and Other Survivor Generated Research
Related Article:Criteria for Rating Brain Injury Survivor Web Sites and Social Communities
Related Article: Who Represents the Brain Injury (which includes TBI) Survivor Community?
Civil, Human and Legal Rights
Related Article: Brain Injury Network Remarks and Press Release dated 1-11-11
Due Process under the Law
Related Article: Removal of Life Support
Fair Treatment in Our Day-to-Day Affairs
Related Article: Financial Institutions
Freedom of Movement
Related Article: Locked Facility
Full Inclusion in Society
Related Article: Survivor Councils
Related Article: Community Level Programming
Health and or Medical Care
Related Article: Assessments
Related Article: Comprehensive Health Reform
Independence and Independent Living
Related Article: Third Party Stakeholders
Informed Choice Regarding Medical Treatment and Care
Related Article: Patient Empowerment
Related Article: Patient Recruitment
Least Restrictive Living Environments
Related Article: Building Code Standards
Related Article: Living Environments
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Related Article: TBI Survivor Funding Priorities
Politically Correct Terminology Regarding Us
Related Article: Identification as People
Related Article: Mental Illness
Privacy
Related Article: Exposing Our Identities
Related Article: Privacy Settings
Protection of Law
Related Article: Removal of Life Support
"Psychotropic Free" Living Environments
Related Article: Post Acute Environments
Respect and Dignity
Related Article: Law Abiding Survivors
Related Article: Stigma and Brain Injury
Safety
Related Article: Safety First
Self Determination in Aspirations, Goals, Life-Styles and Self Identification
Related Article: TBI Survivor Councils
Related Article: TBI Survivor Priorities
Related Article: Use of the Term, Survivor
Related Article: Why We Need Collective Advocacy
Unbiased Advocates
Related Article: Advocates Disclosure
Related Article: Advocate Conflicts of Interest
Related Article: High School Graduation School Policy
Related Article: Physician Disclosures of Outside Interests
Occasionally there might be situations or circumstances where we cannot be afforded the full spectrum of rights. However, whenever that happens restrictions or limitations must be only to the extent required by law or medical necessity. Any abridgement of a tbi survivor’s natural and/or legal rights must be given full scrutiny by appropriate legal authority. And ideally, often this is already the case, such as in court competency hearings. However, it is not always the case.
Our rights as human beings are being infringed upon if and when we are subjected to:Advocates for Us Who Have a Conflict of Interest
Related Article: Advocate Conflicts of Interest
Related Article: Patient Recruitment Stealth Methodology
Invasions of Our Privacy for Patient Data Harvesting, Profit, or even out of Ignorance, Insensitivity or Negligence
Related Article: Exposing Our Identities
Related Article: Hospital Privacy
Related Article: Social Communities Online
Off Label Use of Psychotropic Drugs in Nursing Homes to Keep Us Sedated
Related Article: Post Acute Environments
Stealth Research Upon Us (research undertaken without our knowledge and/or informed consent)
Related Article: Human Research Guidelines
Related Article: Recruitment Methodology
Substandard or Biased Medical Research
Related Article: Gold Standard Research
Related Article: Patient Recruitment
Warehousing in Nursing Homes
Related Article: Post Acute Environments
So, there is still room for additional laws, protocols and standards to protect our rights, and to insure that we are treated appropriately by society. For example, we recommend the following:
Mandated Reporter Law for College Level Employees Working with Us
Related Article: Mandated Reporter Law
National and International Standards for College Programs Directed at Us
Related Article: National Standards
Privacy Protections on the Internet
Related Article:Criteria for Rating Brain Injury Survivor Web Sites and Social Communities
Related Article: Protect Your Privacy
Related Article: Brain Injury Forums
The source of the above material is the Brain Injury Network.
http://braininjurynetwork.org/humanrights.html
(Note: There are many other websites and agencies that address disability rights concerns. But our focus is particularly on our own tbi community. And, we have indicated some articles that actually came from the advocacy and networking of the tbi survivor community itself. The reader may find additional articles, issues, legal pronouncements, topics and websites by looking up such topics as disability rights, human rights and independent living for people with brain injuries.)