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About Us

Protecting end-of-life rights since 1980.

Who we are

Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) is the national human-rights charity committed to improving quality of dying, protecting end-of-life rights, and helping people across Canada avoid unwanted suffering.

  • We defend human rights by advocating for assisted dying rules that respect the Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
  • We provide support to adults suffering from a grievous and irremediable medical condition who wish to die on their own terms
  • We educate people across Canada about all their legal end-of-life options, including the constitutional right to medical assistance in dying (MAID), and the importance of Advance Care Planning
  • We support health care practitioners who assess for and provide MAID

Our mission

Ensuring access to quality end-of-life choice and care through advocacy, education, and support.   

Our vision

Everyone can choose their good death. 

Our Values

Collaboration

Working together with an individual or group of people towards achieving a common goal by sharing ideas, skills, and actions.

We believe collaboration allows us to be more inclusive and mindful of people, perspectives, beliefs and wishes, and more respectful toward each other. We believe living this value makes us more resilient, dynamic, and responsive.

Compassion

The act of showing kindness and empathy to others.

We believe that showing genuine concern about the needs of others through our actions fosters appreciation and acceptance, leading to a sense of safety and an opportunity to see new possibilities.

Courage

Having the moral bravery to face confrontation or difficulties in carrying out our mission, perseverance in continuing to work for change, and honesty in speaking the truth both within and outside the organization.

We believe courage allows us to act as allies to amplify the voices of those who cannot speak out and to stand up to injustice. We believe courage allows us to nurture healthy and respectful relationships and encourages a culture of inquiry that will build trust and candor.

Inclusion

Creating an environment where all people are treated with respect, everyone is valued, and contributions are welcomed.

We believe that when we include and value people from a wide variety of backgrounds, circumstances, and experiences we create a safe environment and sense of belonging that allows people to fully participate in, and contribute to, our mission and vision.

Integrity

Acting honestly, ethically and truthfully.

We believe integrity is important to our ability to work with each other and our communities because integrity is necessary for building trust. We believe that our reputation and engagement at all levels depends on us being seen as trustworthy as individuals and as an organization.

People centered

Creating environments and making decisions that recognize the individual’s unique and particular needs to ensure they have safe and accessible experiences and feel heard and supported.

We believe being people centered allows us to focus on the whole person, the concentric circles around them (experiential), and to respect and value individual needs, privacy, and opinions without judgment.

Learn more

Dying With Dignity Canada is a proud member of The World Federation of Right to Die Societies.

Empower. Inform. Protect your rights.