Last week was a very interesting week in terms of news
worthy items that are pertinent to the disability community.
The Supreme Court ruled that isolated human genes cannot be
patented. The Supreme Court did distinguish human genes from DNA molecules
engineered by people, which would still be eligible for patent. This case was
getting a lot of media attention, ever since actress, Angelina Jolie, announced
that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy due to the fact that she
was a BRCA gene carrier, a gene that predisposes one significantly to breast
and ovarian cancer.
The problem has been that BRCA testing is not widely
affordable to the general public due to the fact that a company called Myriad
Genetics had been awarded a patent for BRCA1 and BRCA 2 genes in the 1990s.
This patent essentially eliminated a competitive market for BRCA testing. The
hope with this new ruling is that other companies will increase their research
into BRCA gene testing and come up with more affordable ways for all women to
effectively screen themselves for BRCA genes.
On a different note, Cari and I have become aware of a new
documentary that was created to help end the stigma and misperceptions of
mental illness. The documentary entitled A New
State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness was funded by
California’s voter approved Mental Services Act and profiles the stories of
individuals who have fought to overcome the stigmas and misconceptions associated with mental illnesses. The
documentary is narrated by actress, Glenn Close. It is estimated that one in four people suffer from a mental illness. In spite of this significant statistic, mental illnesses are one of the least understood disabilities by the general public. Unfair stereotypes overshadow the many successes that people with mental illnesses are able to achieve. This documentary seeks to highlight the individuals and organizations fighting to end discrimination against people with mental illnesses.
Here is a link to the documentary:
http://www.eachmindmatters.org/great-minds-gallery/view-the-film/ Got a question that you need answered? Please check out our website at www.westcoastdisability.com . We try to provide you with valuable information on our website that may help you navigate the Social Security Disability process. Also, feel free to shoot us an email at info@westcoastdisability.com or call us at (800) 459-3017.
I want to thank you for this informative post. I really appreciate sharing this great post. Keep up your work. Thanks for sharing this great article. Great information thanks a lot for the detailed article.
ReplyDeleteglenn close mental illness