Disabled people must be heard when it comes to assisted dying

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

The choice to end my life would certainly provide me with comfort should I find myself suffering unbearably (PA)

Disabled people, myself included, have fought relentlessly to have our voices heard in society. We are a diverse community and the full range of our views must be heard and respected. This is why Disability Rights UK maintains a neutral position on the important topic of assisted dying.

Assisted dying is a subject of great importance, and I take issue with the assertion that we are a homogenous group, united in fear over its legalisation. Quite the contrary, many of us wholeheartedly support attempts to provide greater choice to those in their final months of life. It would certainly provide me with comfort should I find myself suffering unbearably as I die.

The model most recently proposed in Westminster and which is being considered in the Scottish parliament would be accessible only by terminally ill, mentally competent adults. Oregon in the United States was the first to introduce such a law and Disability Rights Oregon has never received a proven complaint of abuse in the law’s 25-year-plus existence. There are currently no protections, under the existing laws in England, Scotland, or Wales, that prevent coercion from relatives resulting in individuals committing suicide or travelling to Switzerland. I am sure we can all agree that safeguards to prevent coercion in this matter are extremely important.