Professor Dainius Pras:

I suppose that the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities would be against such a position because it would regard that as discrimination of persons with disabilities. Again, I think that is up to the parents - up to the mother - to decide.

We should not force people to have a child after we inform them of the results of prenatal diagnostics. The idea behind the prenatal diagnostics is to inform people. If we inform people that the child will be born, for example, with severe disability, my position is that we should respect the decision of the family. Perhaps the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is a board of independent experts interpreting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, will protect the rights of those with disabilities. The committee is not happy with the tendency of people to choose not to have children with disabilities. We are back to advances in science. This is a most sensitive issue. My background is in working with children with disabilities. I do not know why the world is looking for a cure for autism, for example. For me, autism is a matter of diversity. It is good that we have many children and adults who are autistic, yet science is looking for a cure for autism. This is not about the termination of pregnancy. If many people think it is okay to not have any more people with disabilities, it is a mistake. I do not think I contradict myself when I say that parents have to make the choice but they have to be well informed.