Disability campaigners face three month wait on change in abortion laws results
Supporters say the current law has a “glaring inequality”
Disability campaigners have been told they have at least a three month wait to find out if their appeal court bid to change abortion laws has been successful.
The supporters are fighting against legislation that allows foetuses with serious disabilities, like Downs syndrome, to be aborted later in pregnancy.
Current legislation for England, Wales and Scotland, gives a 24 week time limit for abortion, unless "there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped".
Heidi Crowter, from Coventry, who has Downs syndrome, has challenged the law, saying it was discriminatory.
In September last year, judges found that the section of the Abortion Act was not unlawful, and it aimed to give balance between the rights of the pregnant women and the unborn children.
On Wednesday, the case was being reconsidered by the Court of Appeal in London.
Jan Hopcroft, from Up On Downs Hertfordshire told us: “Whatever your feelings are about a woman’s decision to carry on a pregnancy or not is beside the point.
“For us it’s purely a point of equality.
“In our lifetime we’ve seen disabled people granted equality in terms of education, access to healthcare, access to employment and all these other fields.
“It just seems such an anomaly that before the disabled person is born there is this glaring inequality.”
Another reason campaigners want this change in legislation is to step away from negative connotations relating to Downs syndrome.
Jan said: “There no substitute really for getting out there and seeing a three year old with downs syndrome or a 15 year old with Downs syndrome.
“That, I think, gives families a far more realistic expectation.
“that’s why we passionately believe the unfairness of this ruling that differentiates simply by virtue of the extra chromosome.
“It impacts negatively on people with Downs syndrome because it puts across the idea that you are not valued and you won’t go on to lead that wonderful and fulfilling life we know you can.”
Campaigners have been told the outcome of the appeal should be through in October.