Medical Assistance in Dying committee  My question would be back to you all. What if that proper assistance is not available, but it is still necessary to relieve that suffering? I strongly urge you to say that we're better than this. We can find these solutions for these people. Accessing MAID for non-medical reaso

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Right.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Absolutely.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  I would say that it's extremely urgent. A person who has got to the position of applying for MAID is already in crisis and would need a lot of support to put those complex pieces in place. I would hope that's what we would be offering, that there would be a position, a person,

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Absolutely.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  I'm sorry, was that addressed to me? I think it was.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  As I just mentioned, I think the role there has to not be just to examine those conditions leading someone to follow through with MAID, but the solutions have to be put in place. That's the piece that is missing, that the assessor sees there are these extraordinary needs that are

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Thank you so much for your question. I think there are many things about the Canada disability benefit that are still unknown, such as eligibility and the amount. There are also things that relate to how much it actually costs, and where the poverty line would sit if you are som

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  I would say that housing and not having to live in poverty, as well as access to treatment, should be provided to all disabled people, whether they are approaching MAID or not. I believe that disabled lives are worth living, that we contribute to our society in so many ways, and

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Madeline, who I talked about, is a friend of mine. I know that you're in B.C. and Madeline is in B.C. She has treatment options that have worked for her, and they have now been removed because she can't afford to pay for them. If there is a track record of treatment that works,

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  For me, that part of your mandate is why I asked to be a witness at this committee. I strongly believe that, as a nation, we're not protecting disabled people at the moment. I strongly believe that you cannot advance with the expansion of MAID until we've dealt with some of those

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  I would also say that I don't have data to support it, but certainly anecdotally, people within the disability community are talking about MAID more often and seeing it as a response to societal conditions more than medical conditions. They feel that they're suffering and that th

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. I am a disabled woman with multiple sclerosis and live in Kelowna, B.C. At times, my disease has been aggressive and it's fairly advanced. I use a power wheelchair. I have severe fatigue and pain that is sometimes severe. However, I have a great quality o