Disabled people will suffer if assisted dying becomes law
On 11 September, MPs will decide whether to proceed with the latest Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, sponsored by Lauren Edwards. Despite hours of scrutiny and amendments in the Lords, it’s substantially unchanged. It feels like Groundhog Day. Disabled people are weary of explaining why assisted dying is particularly dangerous for us. Without realistic alternatives, quality health and social care, personal assistance and good palliative care, the temptation to end an intolerable life can be all too real. A report from Insightful Disability, launched this week, found 62 per cent of disabled people aged 18–34 worry that disabled people could feel pressured into assisted suicide if it were legal, against 25 per cent of those aged 55 and over.
