A dignified end : a right to live, die or exist ?

Abstract

It is part of human nature to take things for granted. Nobody ever sees walking or the ability to move our arms or legs as a privilege until they are incapacitated. Very few appreciate their immune system until they are sick. In short, we do not recognise a privilege or register its actual value until it is taken away. This is not true of those with a severe physical disability or terminal illness. The ability to move their limbs, walk unaided or perform the most basic of absolutions appears to them as a luxury or privilege that will be forever denied. Autonomy is a privilege that is denied to those with severe disabilities or a terminal illness. One response is to ask how this can be remedied through ‘empowerment’. While the reality of their physical illness cannot be altered, it is clear that the attitudes and practices of wider society can be challenged and potentially even altered.