There has been much discussion on national opinion editorial pages regarding abortion and its place in the decision of a mother to end a pregnancy when the fetus has been identified with Down syndrome. Chris Kaposy, an associate professor of bioethics at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, wrote in the New York Times on April 17, “If you value acceptance, empathy and unconditional love, you, too should welcome a child with Down syndrome into your life.”
That simplifies a thorny problem. The real issue is one involving pragmatic ethics — what are the lifelong implications of living with Down syndrome when you are born with it. Having worked in the field of disability education for over 35 years, I know that parenting is not what takes precedence here.
The biggest concern is whether an individual with Down syndrome can reasonably live as an adult often fettered by unemployment, housing discrimination, no health insurance, acute loneliness, limited or nonexistent sexual contact, and no family of one’s own making. Stop and think what living a life means. The care giving that comes with all of this bears a high price tag. These issues are rarely discussed. It is inexcusable to ignore them.
Joan Provost, Salt Lake City