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The Story of Disability Justice

First "wrongful birth" case.

Date: 1975

The Story of Disability Justice
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The notion of "wrongful birth" enables a parent to sue their physician if their child is born with disabilities that the parent believes could have been "prevented" through amniocentesis or some other form of screening.

In Texas, Dortha Biggs came down with rubella while pregnant. After the Biggs' child is born with disabilities, they sue their doctor for not diagnosing the rubella and informing them of how it could affect the pregnancy.

At the time of writing in 2023, 25 states in the U.S. still recognize physician responsibility for "wrongful birth."