Assisted dying is legal in Canada. But in these early days after the passage of Bill C-14, we’re only now getting a glimpse of the challenges that stand in the way of Canadians looking to exercise their right to die with the help of a doctor or nurse practitioner. So far, we know that access is patchy and unequal.

In order to effect change, we need a clearer, more detailed picture of the barriers to access that exist. We need to search out these injustices, bring them out of the shadows and demand a more human alternative. And we can’t do it without your help.

That’s why we’re pleased to announce the launch of Dying With Dignity Canada’s Shine a Light Campaign. It’s an opportunity for you — the 85 per cent of Canadians who support the right to assisted dying — to ensure that safe, fair and timely access is available across the country.  

How can you help Shine a Light? In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be calling on our supporters to:

• Contact local hospitals, hospices and long-term care facilities where you live to ask about their policies on assisted dying, as part of our effort to build a Shine a Light Progress Map;
• Report to us about institutions or healthcare providers who are ignoring their patients’ wishes;
• Use Shine a Light digital advocacy tools to push decision-makers to remove unfair barriers to access;
• Share your story on our blog or in the media about how you’re shining a light on injustice.

Sign up for updates from the Shine a Light Campaign today and become a beacon of light for desperately ill individuals who want the choice at end of life. We’ll be in touch soon with more details on how you can expose — and ultimately, tear down — the unfair barriers that separate Canadians from their right to assisted dying.