Writing in the [UK] Independent, columnist Dominic Lawson says current British abortion law contains remnants of eugenic prejudice against people with disabilities. The Human Fertilization and Embryology Act specifies that abortions of “seriously handicapped” fetuses (the term is not defined) may be performed at any time up until birth, whereas fetuses without disabilities may only be aborted up to 24 weeks gestation.

A proposed amendment to the law, which would have provided expectant mothers with up-to-date information and referrals when disability is diagnosed prenatally, was conclusively defeated last week.

And there you have it: such rights as are imputed to all “viable” unborn children are absolutely withdrawn if the child is not … normal.

… Not only did the great majority support the notion that a disabled unborn child could be terminated right up until 40 weeks’ gestation, they didn’t even want there to be a legal requirement that such a decision is based on more than an understandable spasm of panic, or even horror.

… Some years ago, when I wrote about the birth of our own daughter Domenica, who has Down syndrome, [journalist] Claire Rayner commented that we had behaved selfishly, because of the “misery” and cost to society of such children: “People who are not yet parents should ask if they have the right to inflict such burdens on others.” There you have the classic eugenic argument, from a very well-known ex-nurse who was frank enough to blurt out what is normally covered up.

While I was discussing this article yesterday morning at home, Domenica, who will be 13 this Sunday, must have overheard. She suddenly said, at lunch, “I’m so glad I’m human.” Perhaps I am being an over-proud father, but I think she put her finger on the most important argument of all.

Earlier post here.

Lawson is the former editor of the [UK] Sunday Telegraph. Earlier columns here:

• Our double standards on abortion; Why is it discriminatory to abort on grounds of sexual identity, but acceptable if a baby might be disabled? April 4, 2006
  
• The cruelty of a life and death choice; The majority of obstetricians are genuinely of the view that people with Down syndrome have negative value; May 23, 2006

This entry was posted on Monday, May 26th, 2008 at 6:39 pm and is filed under abortion, commentary, eugenics, genetics, history, intellectual/developmental disabilities, international, NOT2BEMISSED, quality of life, stereotypes, stigma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.