Is Canada Committing GENOCIDE on Disabled People? | Cerebral Palsy
Sickboy
CBC
4.8 • 524 Ratings
🗓️ 3 June 2025
⏱️ 64 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When the cost of survival outweighs the cost of death, something has gone deeply wrong. In this sobering and eye-opening episode, Mitch, living with cerebral palsy and chronic pain, shares his harrowing journey through a Canadian healthcare and social system that he argues is failing its disabled citizens. From the challenges of inadequate education and inaccessible post-secondary programs, to the emotional toll of societal stigma and the bureaucratic obstacles in pursuing intimacy, Mitch exposes the gaps that leave many disabled individuals isolated, under-resourced, and overlooked. He bravely discusses everything from systemic failures and addiction to sex work and survival strategies — reminding us how much dignity and independence are shaped by equity, not charity.
You can watch this entire episode over on YouTube.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's becoming pretty clear that U.S. President Donald Trump is ripping up the political |
| 0:05.3 | playbook. |
| 0:05.8 | And when it comes to what it all means for Canada, well, as they say, it's complicated. |
| 0:09.8 | But our podcast, two blocks from the White House, is a way to make sense of it all. |
| 0:13.8 | Join me, Willie Lowry, and senior Washington correspondents, Paul Hunter and Katie Simpson |
| 0:18.6 | every week as we break down the headlines from Capitol Hill with a Canadian spin. |
| 0:24.2 | Find and follow two blocks from the White House on your favorite podcast app, including YouTube. |
| 0:30.2 | This is a CBC podcast. |
| 0:35.3 | This week on Sick Boy, we're joined by Mitch Stark. |
| 0:39.1 | He lives with cerebral palsy. |
| 0:42.0 | I want to pose the question. |
| 0:44.0 | Is Canada as a country essentially committing genocide on its own disabled people? |
| 0:53.2 | A disabled person in Canada should have the right to die. |
| 0:58.9 | 100%. |
| 1:00.0 | However, they should not have the right to die |
| 1:04.2 | until their physical, mental, or therapeutic needs have been met. |
| 1:10.0 | They are potentially making the decision because their needs have not been met. |
| 1:15.2 | And that's what needs to stop. |
| 1:21.2 | All right, Mitch, you recently sent me a very compelling letter. |
| 1:28.0 | And you've said that for some disabled Canadians, suicide or medical assistance in dying can feel like the only way out. |
| 1:41.2 | Can you just take us into the moment that you first started to understand why that might be |
| 1:49.0 | true for you? I think it's just understanding the reality of living with the disability in our country. |
... |
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