as the mother of a young woman with an intellectual disability and the wife of someone with a significant physical disability, i know full well the value and meaning of their lives. their lives, like my own, are defined by who they are, who they love, their passions and pursuits, and not by their disability. the only difference is they need accommodations and supports to live a good life.
yet it seems our federal government views persons with disabilities differently.
our federal government sees people who have a disability as suffering souls who deserve a fast track to an assisted death. painting them as such is abhorrent, of course. but that is exactly what bill c-7, a bill to amend canada’s medical assistance in dying (maid) legislation, does.
bill c-7 is indicative of a gross lack of understanding about the lives of people who have a disability. if this legislation is passed, canadians with a disability will be able to access maid even though their death may not be reasonably foreseeable. to be clear, this is state sanctioned suicide for people who may have otherwise had many years of life left, and it puts the lives of canadians who have a disability at risk.