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Why I, as someone with disabilities, support the Assisted Dying Bill
There is consternation that allowing assisted dying to be legalised would impact the disabled — but if it is limited to the terminally ill, as we expect it will be, I support it, writes RUTH HUNT
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BY WRITING that I support assisted dying, I feel as if I am going against the disabled community and might find myself subject to a social media “pile-on” with all those who disagree making it clear they think I’m in the wrong.
Coverage of a demonstration in 2015 against the Bill introduced by Rob Marris MP on assisted dying reinforced this belief. Various people with disabilities were interviewed, with some of those mentioning that on the side against assisted dying were disabled people, but on the side for assisted dying, there was not. Since then, similar comments have been made in articles.
This impression, that the disabled community speak with one voice, has made it extremely difficult for those with disabilities to speak up in favour of assisted dying. Not only will they be going against their own “community” but now with the debate so polarised and emotive many fear that if they raise their heads to speak, they may suffer the backlash from entrenched and long-established positions from well-organised pressure groups (on both sides).
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