Disability rights campaigner’s warning about Assisted Dying Bill

A LEADING disability rights campaigner from Greencastle has urged local politicians to recognise the dangers of proposed Assisted Dying legislation for deaf and disabled people across the UK.

Dermot Devlin, a member of the Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPO), was speaking after a parliamentary committee overseeing evidence on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill reversed its initial decision and agreed to include a DDPO representative among its oral evidence witnesses.

Welcoming the move, Mr Devlin stressed the importance of ensuring disabled voices are heard. He also noted that nine of the North’s 11 MPs in Westminster voted against the Bill last November, signaling strong opposition from the region.

“It is crucial that all our elected representatives from Northern Ireland understand why the Assisted Dying Bills are so dangerous for deaf and disabled people across the UK,” Mr Devlin said.

Disability rights group DPAC Northern Ireland also welcomed the Committee’s decision to include DDPOs in the debate but criticized the lack of targeted outreach. They argued that resistance to including disabled voices has made it unreasonably difficult for them to express their concerns.

“Deaf and disabled people in the UK face disproportionate inequality, including a greater likelihood of living in poverty,” Mr Devlin said.

“We also experience poorer life chances due to increasingly restricted access to social care support, mental health services, and timely medical care.”

The UK Deaf and Disabled People’s Monitoring Coalition also welcomed the inclusion of Disability Rights UK (DR UK) in the debate. However, they criticised the timing, arguing that the decision came too late in what has been an inaccessible and dismissive process.

DR UK, a DDPO representing 350 organisations, is an active member of the Coalition and has been advocating for stronger representation of disabled voices in policy-making.