A duty to ask to die? Disability and assisted dying

Have you ever had anyone come up to you and say, ‘I’d rather be dead than be like you’?

I have, numerous times! Apparently, people would rather be dead because they can’t see why anyone could want to be alive if they use a wheelchair. And it’s not just physical disability - there are many people who have the same view of autism.

There’s been some ongoing clinical research to find a genetic marker for autism, so it can be tested for. However, many autistic people haven’t taken part, because they saw what happened when they found a marker for Down Syndrome – terminations up until full term. Why would you want to support clinical research that might lead to babies like yourself being terminated, just because autism is seen as a risk, not compatible with a good quality of life?