People with Down’s syndrome and their families rallied outside the UK Court of Appeal on Wednesday in support of a case against the UK Government that the current law that allows abortion up to birth for Down’s syndrome and other disabilities, but not for healthy babies, is discriminatory.

Heidi Crowter, a 27-year-old woman from Coventry who has Down’s syndrome, together with Máire Lea-Wilson from Brentford, West London, whose three-year-old son Aidan has Down’s syndrome, are challenging the UK Government over a disability clause in the current abortion law.

Heidi addressed a large rally of supporters who had travelled from around the country and said:

“When I tell people about the court case they say that it’s not fair. I am hopeful that the judges will see that it is not fair.

If the law said that all girl babies could be aborted up to birth everyone would say that is discrimination. So why does the law say that it is ok to terminate disabled babies right up to birth?

In 2022 we live in a society where disabled people are valued equally after birth but not in the womb. I hope that the judges will agree with me that this law is discrimination and needs to be changed.”