Forwarded message:
With Sheila's permission I am circulating this message. If anyone would like to comment, the
deadline is 1st May. Please feel free to circulate. (Liz)
Letter to Sheila Blair from the Disability Rights Commission.
6 April 2001
Dear Sheila Blair,
Abortion Act 1967 - possible discrimination against disabled people
At its June Commission meeting the DRC will be considering a request from the
organisation 'Life' that it makes recommendations to the Government
concerning the Abortion Act 1967.
Specifically Life has requested the Commission to advise the Government that
the Act, in particular subsection 1 [1] [d], is discriminatory against
disabled people.
This subsection of the Act states one of the grounds on which abortion is
held to be legal.
'that there is substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer
from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.'
Another part of the Act relating to disability is the time limit for legal
abortion. Whilst abortion on the grounds of risk of injury to the physical
or mental health of the woman or any existing children must be carried out by
the 24th week of pregnancy, abortion on the grounds that the child would be
born 'seriously handicapped' can legally be carried out until birth.
I will be grateful if you can write or e-mail me setting out if your
organisation has views on the issue. Specifically we will welcome your view
as to whether the commission should make such a recommendation to Government
on the grounds that part of the Abortion Act is discriminatory against
disabled people.
We will also welcome views on other issues, such as prenatal screening and
testing, counselling around prenatal diagnosis of likelihood of disability,
what advice is available on support for parents of disabled children, or
other related issues which you would wish the DRC to consider.
I will also be obtaining views from other organisations, and will be
producing a paper for the June meeting of the DRC Commission to consider.
In order to allow time for writing the report I will be grateful to receive
any input you may have by 1st May.
We will let you know the outcome of the Commission's discussion on this issue.
Yours Sincerely
Jenny Willmot
Policy Analyst
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Fax 020 7211 4141
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