NY Times, Wall Street Journal & NY Daily News All Cover ASAN's Response to Ransom Notes Campaign!!!

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

As many of you have noticed, the New York

Times<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/business/media/14adco.html>,

the Wall Street Journal's Health

Blog<http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2007/12/14/ads-about-kids-mental-health-problem\

s-draw-fire/>and

the New

York Daily

News<http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2007/12/14/2007-12-14_psych_gro\

ups_fury_over_ransom_ads-1.html>all

ran stories today about ASAN and thirteen other disability rights

organizations' joint letter calling for the withdrawal of the NYU Child

Study Center " Ransom Notes " campaign. This press coverage is an important

step towards securing the removal of these offensive and ill-conceived

advertisements. While the coverage is by no means perfect - the NY Daily

News did a good job but will be hearing from me about the difference between

psychiatric and neurological disorders and the difference between having a

disability and " suffering " from it - it is highly positive in that it

continues to keep the pressure on NYU to pull these advertisements. People

with disabilities from across the country have united in signing a

petition<http://www.petitiononline.com/ransom/petition.html>to endorse

the disability community's joint statement and the number of

organizational signatories is now up to twenty. Attached is a .pdf document

with the complete list of signatories, including the new endorsing

organizations, which include the American Association of People with

Disabilities and the Disabilities Network of New York City, amongst others.

People with disabilities from across the nation and as far away as Britain,

Israel and Australia have endorsed the disability community's joint

statement on this matter. At the same time, the NYU Child Study Center and

its supporters continues to refuse to withdraw the " Ransom Notes " campaign.

In fact, they have even announced plans to expand these damaging and

inaccurate ads to four other major cities across the country. New York City

is now the front line of the broader struggle of the disability community

for respect, inclusion, acceptance and equality throughout society and we

will not give in until we have achieved a full withdrawal of the " Ransom

Notes " advertising campaign. What is at stake here is too big for us to give

up. We will not be deterred. We will not be defeated. We will succeed. To

all of you who have written, called and e-mailed so far and to those of you

who have yet to do so, thank you! Keep up the good work!

Regards,

Ari Ne'eman

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, President

http://www.autisticadvocacy.org

info@...