Dismissed and Sidelined

John Pring writes:

Disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) have united in opposition to attempts to legalise assisted suicide, after months of being excluded from parliamentary discussions.

In an open letter, DPOs from across England and Wales have declared opposition to the bill and are protesting at the continued lack of meaningful engagement with DPOs and disabled experts throughout its progress through parliament.

They spoke out as MPs and peers on the joint committee on human rights took evidence yesterday (Wednesday) on the potential impact of the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill on the human rights of disabled people.

The bill, which applies to England and Wales, continues its progress through the Lords tomorrow, as peers begin to debate more than 700 proposed amendments.

The bill has not been introduced by the government – although it is believed to be heavily-supported by the prime minister – but has instead been sponsored as a private members’ bill by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and Labour peer Lord Falconer.

The open letter was drawn up by Not Dead Yet UK, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Inclusion London, Disability Rights UK, Bromley and Croydon DPAC, and Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, and highlights how disabled people have been excluded from parliamentary discussions on the bill.

They welcome the human rights committee’s decision to examine key aspects of the bill that were “dismissed and sidelined” as it passed through the House of Commons earlier this year.

They say the bill “discriminates against and has not meaningfully engaged with Disabled people”, even though they are “among those most at risk” from the legislation.

And they say it is vital that parliament understands the “human rights and equalities implications” of the bill for disabled people.

Among their concerns, the DPOs say the bill’s already limited safeguards had been “watered down” during its progress through parliament; that funding legalised assisted suicide would remove money from palliative care and “essential health and social care funding”; and that the bill fails to address the risks of disabled people being coerced into an assisted death.

They also raise the risks that the “very dangerous” bill poses to people with learning difficulties; warn that the judicial protection initially proposed by the bill has now been watered down; and say that disabled people’s voices and organisations have been excluded during the bill’s passage.

And they point out that no person with learning difficulties was asked to give evidence to the House of Lords during its select committee evidence sessions, despite the “significant impact” the bill will have on this group of disabled people.

They are now seeking other DPOs to sign the open letter and show their opposition to the bill.

By noon today, nearly 40 DPOs and disabled-led organisations had signed the open letter.

Meanwhile, in written evidence to the select committee set up by the Lords to examine the “safeguards and procedures” in the bill – which published its report this week – the Equality and Human Rights Commission warned that a private members’ bill was “an unsuitable vehicle for legislation of this importance, because of the reduced scrutiny offered”.

The commission said the legislation was “likely to particularly affect disabled people and older people”.

It said: “Peers should be aware that coercion or pressure is not always applied directly by other individuals.

“UN experts highlighted that individuals can feel subtly pressured to end their lives prematurely due to attitudinal barriers and a lack of services and support.”

And it warned that assisted dying could only be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights if “high-quality health and social care, including palliative care” was “available to all, and patients informed about its availability”.