Disabled Community Megathread from May 12, 2025 to May 25, 2025

Hello all! All I have to say for now is that the megas must flow

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"Disability" is an umbrella term which encompasses physical disabilities, emotional/psychiatric disabilities, neurodivergence, intellectual/developmental disabilities, sensory disabilities, invisible disabilities, and more. You do not have to have an official diagnosis to consider yourself disabled.

Mask up, love one another, and stay alive for one more week.

86 comments

Well, someone here helped me to join dignitas. Finally dignitas spoke to me about discounts (they won't discuss potential assisted suicide unless you're a member) and..... it's not going to work for me. The thing is, it turns out they do give big discounts to people on low incomes, you provide your proof and if you have no income/no disposable income they say they will even do it totally for free. The problem with that is you have to pay for your own travel and accommodations.
You have to travel to Switzerland for multiple interviews with doctors who will decide whether to help you or not. So the costs for this would be: taxi to train station, train to airport (potentially very expensive), airport shuttle bus, plane ticket, transport from Swiss airport, hotels, food etc. And depending how far apart your interviews are, you might need to stay in Switzerland for a while, and it's an expensive country. Depending on how long you have to wait between being accepted and doing the deed, you might need to go back home and return to Switzerland for the actual suicide, meaning paying all these costs again. If you stay in Switzerland while you wait, you then have to pay hotels, food and whatever for that whole time. Dignitas don't pay for this, you have to pay yourself. But with what income?
If you have enough money to pay for all this then you have too much for a free suicide, surely? In which case you have to pay the £15K cost of the suicide yourself. So yeah, it won't be happening for me unless some miracle happens in the future and I come into a lot of money. I'll have to struggle on for the foreseeable future.
- Oh friend, I'm so heartbroken to read this. The fact that it hinges on the travel costs is absurd, at the same time, I really don't want anyone to have to consider this option. I get it, I really do, but the thought of someone being in such a bad place that death seems the only bearable option is terrifying. I know you're doing all you can, I know that the help you get is not enough, but it still scares me to think that you would... leave.
  I will not tell you what to do, and since the travel cost is so expensive, there's literally nothing to do but suffer on rn regardless. I'm so sorry it is this way, and I wish I could give you a hug and find a way to make it better.
  
  Having you as a friend does make it a bit better.
  .
  I never expected it to come together really, I mean I had no idea Dignitas even offer a totally free service. I had heard they do discounts but I thought it would be something like 20% off, so out of reach anyway. I was so surprised to be told they could do it free, but then they added at the end of the message that the entire travel costs and hotels would be on me, they don't help with that. If only I could get my benefits awarded for the full maximum 10 years, I could maybe save a bit, but in that case I might have to pay the full cost and I don't think I could save that much. Life is just a neverending obstacle course, there is always something in the way.
  And my achilles tendon is getting worse, not better and I'm really trapped by it and worried about how long it will take to improve. Because of my leg and foot issues I've been basically imprisoned for months and into the foreseeable future, it's really not helpful to my mental health.
  
  I'm happy to hear that, I just wish it was more than emotional support I could give
  It's amazing they would offer this service for free at all, I didn't think that was possible either. Saving something off of your potential benefit payments to be able to travel there sounds risky, but if you think it could work... I don't want to encourage or discourage you from trying, as this is ultimately your decision and your life, and none of my business. But I do hope you find a solution that is best for you.
  The tendon issue is just another headache. I don't know about how flexible/mobile you are in general, or especially after the stroke, but is there maybe some careful mobility exercises where you don't have to put your full weight on your leg while using it? I'm asking because there's some yoga exercises that helped me with tendon tightness. Given that your issue doesn't just have one root cause, however, take this suggestion with as many grains of salt as necessary.
  
  From reading the dignitas site, it seems like a vocation for them rather than a business. They really believe in people having the ability to access this service. In fact I think by law they aren't allowed to profit from assisted suicide and can only take payments that cover their costs. The person at the top apparently uses his own money to make up shortfalls. But i guess expecting him to pay all the travel expenses too would be unviable.
  I saw the podiatrist about the tendon a few days ago and they gave me an exercise to do, and told me to massage it, and an orthotic. They said if it is not better in two months, go back. But it still seems to be getting rapidly worse. I wish so much i was able bodied.

86 comments