We are appalled at this week’s ruling by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals which struck down a regulation that would have banned the use of the graduated electronic decelerator, a skin shock “treatment” that is used to torture people with disabilities. This device — which has drawn criticism from human rights groups, disability advocates, legislators, and more — is used by the Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts on children and adults with developmental disabilities and behavioral disorders, the only place in the country that still does so.
We stand with The Autistic Self Advocacy Network and the broader disability community in denouncing this ruling, and believe it is imperative that we continue to fight for a future where human rights are universal and not dependent on one’s identity. While we find this ruling despicable, we are heartened by the many advocates who continue to fight for justice in these spaces, and we will continue to be vocal in our solidarity. We urge you to do the same. None of us are free until we're all free.