#StopTheShock

Content: ableist and racist torture of disabled people

In the USA, a federal appeals court has overturned the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on electric skin shock devices used on children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Autistics United Canada joins disabled activists and organizations around the world in strongly condemning this decision and calling on the FDA to enact a new ban. 

Despite decades of public outcry and advocacy to #StopTheShock, these devices continue to be used at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts, on residents as young as 9, over 80% Black and Latinx. This practice has been labeled by the United Nations as torture. 

The fact that any torture of autistic and otherwise disabled people is continuing to be sanctioned is horrific - and an international community response is needed.

What you can do: 

1) Go to LinkTr.ee/StopTheShock for list of actions, letter templates, petitions, and community resources (compiled by @chaitofu on Twitter).  

2) Sign the petitions:

• www.ipetitions.com/petition/closejudgerotenbergcenter/
• www.change.org/p/massachusetts-state-attorney-general-mass-law-115-prohibits-pain-for-non-violent-behaviors-but-jrc-does-it-anyway-e0f8ac8c-6285-446d-b243-e91374d48976

3) Go to this (continually updated) community Google Document for letter templates and a list of organizations non-US residents can email, as well as other actions.

4) Use the script and list of contact information that AuTeach has made to urge US organizations to condemn the decision. You can also use the script to write to other organizations and representatives.

5) Educate yourself and others about the Judge Rotenberg Center and how the use of shock devices for behavioural modification harms disabled people, particularly disabled people of colour. 

6) Disabled activists and organizations in the USA, such as the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, are working to fight this decision. You can follow updates with the #StopTheShock hashtag on social media and ASAN’s action alerts. 

7) @writ_kit on Twitter is planning a Zoom healing space to "come together and process as a whole community and figure out where we go next." Sign up here to help plan. Donate here to help pay for interpretation and other accessibility services.

Resources: 

• Living archive and repository of the history of JRC compiled by activist and lawyer Lydia X. Z. Brown​
• "Torture in the Name of Treatment: The Mission to Stop the Shocks in the Age of Deinstitutionalization" by Shain Neumeier and Lydia X. Z. Brown
• July 7, 2021 news report from Reuters about the federal court ruling
• Webinar with AuTeach, Lydia X. Z. Brown, and Shain M. Neumeier on "how we move forward as a community to fight against the torture and inhumane treatment of individuals at the Judge Rotenberg Center, and elsewhere"
• Survivor Jennifer Msumba’s Story​
• Yes, It Really Is Legal to Electrically Shock Disabled Children in The US as Punishment #StopTheShock





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We will keep this post updated with any upcoming actions as news develops!