The Future of the Disabled in Liberal Society questions developments
in human genetic research from the perspective of persons with mental
disabilities and their families. Hans S. Reinders argues that when we
use terms such as "disease" and "defect" to describe conditions that
genetic engineering might well eliminate, we may also be assuming that
disabled lives are deplorable and horrific. Reinders points out that the
possibility of preventing disabled lives is at odds with our commitment
to the full inclusion of disabled citizens in society. The tension
between these different perspectives is of concern to all of us as
genetic testing procedures proliferate. Reinders warns that preventative
uses of human genetics might even become a threat to the social security
and welfare benefits that help support disabled persons and their
families. Reinders also argues that this conflict cannot be resolved or
controlled on the level of public morality. Because a liberal society
makes a commitment to individual freedom and choice, its members can
consider the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of human genetics as
options available to individual citizens. A liberal society will defend
reproductive freedom as a matter of principle. Citizens may select their
offspring in accord with their own personal values. Reinders concludes
that the future of the mentally disabled in liberal society will depend
on the strength of our moral convictions about the value of human life,
rather than on the protective force of liberal morality. One of the most
important aspects of this book is Reinder's attention to parents who
have come to see the task of raising a disabled child as an enriching
experience. These are people who change their conceptions of success and
control and, therefore, their conceptions of themselves. They come to
value their disabled children for what they have to give. Even though
disabled children and disabled adults present parents and society with
real challenges, the rewards are just as real. This powerful critique of
contemporary bioethics is sure to become required reading for those
interested in human development, special education, ethics, philosophy,
and theology.
