Bioethics and Disability

This book delves into some of the most ethically challenging and socially significant debates of our time. It critically examines how emerging biotechnologies and healthcare policies affect the lives, rights, and representations of individuals with disabilities. Through the lens of bioethics, the book investigates controversial practices such as selective reproduction, prenatal screening, gene editing (including CRISPR), physician-assisted dying, and access to reproductive healthcare. It raises crucial questions about autonomy, personhood, quality of life, and the societal definition of “normalcy,” arguing that disability perspectives are essential to shaping ethical frameworks in medicine and science. This interdisciplinary volume brings together insights from disability studies, philosophy, medical ethics, law, and lived experiences to challenge ableist assumptions often embedded in bioethical discourse. It offers a nuanced, inclusive, and justice-oriented approach to ethical decision-making, advocating for policies and practices that respect human diversity and dignity. Suitable for academics, students, bioethicists, healthcare professionals, and policymakers, this book encourages more profound reflection on the implications of scientific advancement and promotes dialogue on how to ethically navigate the future of healthcare and human rights in ways that include rather than marginalize people with disabilities.