As a disabled person, I find the campaign for assisted dying in the UK extremely worrying. No disability group in our country supports the move, which is perhaps why such voices are so seldom heard.
I was glad to hear George Fielding, a disability rights activist and former head of a social care company. speaking to the media recently. His view is that: “In a society that often devalues and marginalises disabled people, it is not difficult to imagine scenarios where individuals feel like they are a burden to their families or caregivers. The mere existence of legally assisted suicide could send the message that ending one’s life is an acceptable solution to these feelings rather than addressing the underlying societal attitudes and lack of support.”