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Concerns About Decisions Related to Withholding/ Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Treatment and Futility for Persons With Disabilities

The University of Akron, jwerth{at}uakron.edu

Disability rights advocates have expressed significant concern about the potential dangers assisted suicide poses for persons with disabilities. This article extends this examination of concerns to withholding and withdrawing treatment in general and, in the specific case of physicians, using the futility rationale to discontinue or not start treatment. The arguments set forth against assisted suicide are applied to withholding and withdrawing treatment and futility and are shown to be at least as applicable to these other forms of hastening death. The article concludes with some policy suggestions.

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