Scope is a charity (or what we would call “non-profit” in the US) that provides services for people with disabilities, and also engages in advocacy – the organization’s primary focus in on people with cerebral palsy. (This is what I was able to gather from the website – if I’ve gotten it wrong, please write me a note and I’ll correct it.)
Yesterday – May 9 – Scope issued a press bulletin highlighting the results of a survey of disabled people the organization commissioned. Below is the bulk of the content of the press bulletin, “Poll shows disabled people’s fears over assisted suicide”:
Findings from a new Scope commissioned ComRes survey of disabled people also reveals some 56% feel the legalisation of assisted suicide would be detrimental to the way that disabled people are viewed by society as a whole.
The news comes as the BBC announced that it is to screen a documentary where novelist Sir Terry Pratchett, a supporter of euthanasia, follows a man as he travels to Swiss clinic Dignitas to end his life.
Meanwhile actor Sir Patrick Stewart has thrown his weight behind the Dignity in Dying campaign. On the other side of the debate Care Not Killing has slammed the BBC as a “cheerleader for assisted suicide”.
Assisted suicide is the act of helping someone else to end their life. It remains illegal in the UK, but in recent years there have been calls to ‘clarify’ or change the law.
A commission on assisted dying has been set up to gather evidence on the issue – but it is not an official Government commission and there have been questions raised about its impartiality.
At the same time, high-profile members of the legal and medical profession have waded into the debate.
Scope commissioned the poll of disabled people in a bid to get behind the headlines and make sure disabled people’s views and opinions were heard amid the increasingly polarised debate.
Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of disability charity Scope, said: “Assisted suicide is a complex and emotional issue, and there are loud and passionate voices on both sides of the debate. But while high-profile lawyers, doctors and celebrities such as Terry Pratchett and Sir Patrick Stewart grab the headlines, the views of the thousands of ordinary disabled people who could be affected by this issue are rarely listened to.
“Our survey findings confirm that concerns about legalising assisted suicide are not just held by a minority, but by a substantial majority of those this law would affect.
“Disabled people are already worried about people assuming their life isn’t worth living or seeing them as a burden, and are genuinely concerned that a change in the law could increase pressure on them to end their life.
You can download a pdf copy of the survey here.
Edit to add: from tigrlily AKA Amy Hasbrouck: On the Scope site, the presentation of the link to the press release gives the most important figure which is not in the press release, that 70% of PWDs surveyed think a law legalizing assisted suicide would put pressure on people with disabilities to end their lives. That should be the lede of the press release.
Good Catch, Amy. Thanks! –Stephen Drake
On the Scope site, the presentation of the link to the press release gives the most important figure which is not in the press release, that 70% of PWDs surveyed think a law legalizing assisted suicide would put pressure on people with disabilities to end their lives. That should be the lede of the press release.