Reflecting on Disability Day of Mourning

It's murder, not a mercy killing.

For the past five years, disability advocates have come together to observe March 1 as Disability Day of Mourning, a day dedicated to remembering disabled people who were killed by parents, relatives, or caregivers. These tragedies are known as filicide.

For many outside the disability community, this issue receives little attention. Organizations like the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and The Arc of the United States have worked for years to bring greater awareness by observing this day of mourning, encouraging candlelit vigils, hosting information campaigns, and memorializing victims. ASAN has an anti-filicide toolkit and has partnered with other disability advocacy organizations to create the website disability-memorial.org, where the names and stories of victims are preserved so they are not forgotten.

While this year’s vigils have passed, I wanted to keep the conversation going.

In the past five years, more than 548 people with disabilities have been reported to be killed at the hands of their caregivers. These are only the cases that were reported and identifiable as instances of filicide. A huge part of the issue is how these tragedies are discussed in the media. Too often, news coverage centers on the stress or exhaustion of the caregiver who committed the violence. While caregiving challenges are real, this framing can shift attention away from the person whose life was lost. Instead of focusing on the victim, the story often becomes about the circumstances surrounding the perpetrator.

Advocates have long pushed back on this narrative. Disabled people deserve to have their lives recognized and valued in the same way anyone else’s would be.

On Disability Day of Mourning, communities gather to read the names of disabled people who were killed in filicide cases. These gatherings center the victims and acknowledge the lives that were lost.

But the purpose of the day is not only remembrance. It is also a call to build a world where disabled people are valued, supported, and safe. Advocacy organizations emphasize that preventing these tragedies requires strong support systems for families, access to services and respite care, and communities that recognize the dignity and worth of disabled people.

While March 1 is a day for reflection, the work does not end there. Awareness, acceptance, and meaningful support for disabled people must be part of our communities every day of the year.

If you or someone you know is struggling with caregiver burnout, please know you are not alone. There is support for you and your family, and we can build a world we all want to live in. Please reach out for help.

View names of those lost to filicide here: https://disability-memorial.org/

View ASAN's Anti-Filicide Toolkit here: https://autisticadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ASAN-Anti-Filicide-Toolkit-Complete.pdf