New York City, N.Y., Apr 24, 2018 / 02:00 am
Disability rights activists are speaking out in opposition to a proposal in New York that would legalize physician assisted suicide.
The Medical Aid in Dying Act, or bill A.2383-A, would amend the current public health law to legalize assisted suicide for mentally competent, terminally ill patients in the state of New York. The bill was heard in the New York Assembly Health Committee on Monday, where a number of opposing groups testified against it.
"The mere suggestion that disability acquired as the result of illness is cause enough to end one's life is a devaluation of disabled peoples' lives, and it's offensive," said Kathryn Carroll, an attorney and policy analyst with the Center for Disability Rights, who was invited to testify at Monday's hearing.
"Our focus should be on expanding access to services and supports that allow people to live with dignity, rather than assisting their suicide," Carroll continued.