Campaign
Abortion Discriminates
Legalised abortion always leads to the worst kind of discrimination against people with disabilities – who are increasingly aborted before they are born. Abortion Discriminates.
- In Britain, 90% of babies with Down Syndrome are aborted before birth
- In Iceland, that figure has now reached a heart-breaking 100%. Not one child with Down Syndrome was born there in 2008-2012, the last period for which figures are available. In Denmark, aborting babies with disabilities is often seen as a cost-saving measure. 98% of babies with Down Syndrome are aborted there.
- In Britain, the number of babies aborted for having a cleft palate has tripled in recent years.
- A major British inquiry into abortion and disability, showed that many parents felt under pressure to have an abortion after their baby was diagnosed with a disability.
Abortion Discriminates Campaign
A billboard and social media campaign highlighting the reality that Abortion Discriminates, and emphasising that in Ireland the 8th protects the right to life of babies with a disability.
Caitríona Cronin, whose son Joseph is featured on the billboard said that the abortion numbers from Britain for children like Joseph were a tragedy. “We want Joseph to grow up in a culture that welcomes and embraces all children regardless of health or disabilities,” she says.
Speaking Out
Powerful personal testimonies are making the case for the right to life of every child, regardless of disability.
This article written by Anne Trainer, mother to Kevin who has Down Syndrome, was printed in the Journal.ie and massively shared on social media. 'Abortion is leading us to a 'Down's Syndrome-free' world. I can barely type the words'.
Read her article more here on the Journal...
Rally for Life Theme - Every Life Matters
The Rally for Life adopted the theme of Every Life Matters and huge crowds cheered families and speakers affected by disability . The biggest cheer of the day was given to Mary Bridget Kelly who has Down Syndrome and who told the crowd that "people with special needs have a right to life".
Speakers like Mary Bridget and other disability advocates were given widespread media attention from the massive pro-life march.
Other Voices
Other voices have made a big impact on the debate
- Tracy Harkin of Every Life Counts calls for better care, not abortion in this powerful Irish Times article. Can we, for once, focus on perinatal hospice care instead of abortion?
- Facebook pages like Stop Killing People with Disabilities are putting the voice of people with disability into the heart of the debate
- World Without Downs, the BBC documentary, drew a huge audience to the shocking reality that abortion discriminates and is wiping out a whole section of our society.
Links
