FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Illinois Must Choose Life, Dignity, and Support — Not Assisted Suicide

September 3, 2026 — Illinois — On September 12, Illinois’ assisted suicide law is scheduled to take effect. The timing is deeply troubling: September is recognized as Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness, preventing suicide, and reminding people that every life has value.

Yet, paradoxically, as communities across the country call for suicide prevention, Illinois is preparing to implement a law that provides a legal pathway for some people with terminal illnesses to end their lives.

At a time when we should be sending a message that life is worth living and that people deserve support, we are sending a very different message. Instead of asking how we can help people live the time they have left with dignity, we are making it easier to offer death as an option.

The Hippocratic tradition of medicine has long been rooted in the principle of healing, caring for patients, and protecting human life. PCIL believes that the medical community and policymakers should focus on providing people with the support, treatment, services, and resources necessary to live with dignity — not creating systems that facilitate death.

The desire to die can sometimes emerge from a lack of meaningful opportunities, adequate support, independence, or the ability to live with dignity. It is easier for politicians to create a pathway to death than to confront the difficult responsibility of ensuring that people have the resources they need to live.

For people living with disabilities, serious illnesses, or terminal conditions, dignity should not be defined by how quickly life can be ended. Dignity should mean having access to quality healthcare, personal assistance, accessible housing, pain management, mental health services, family support, community resources, and the freedom to make meaningful choices about how to live.

As September begins, PCIL urges Illinois policymakers, healthcare providers, disability advocates, and communities to reconsider what it truly means to promote and support healthcare, independence, economic security, and community inclusion.

This September, let us tell people: You are not a burden. Your life has value. You deserve support. You deserve choices. And if you have six months, six weeks, six days, or six hours left, you deserve the opportunity to live that time with dignity.

 

About Progress Center for Independent Living

Progress Center for Independent Living (PCIL) is a Center for Independent Living dedicated to promoting independence, self-determination, accessibility, and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. PCIL advocates for policies and systems that allow people with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in their communities.

Media Contact:
Horacio Esparza
Executive Director
Progress Center for Independent Living (PCIL)
Illinois