On July 6th, 2021, the federal appeals court overruled an FDA ban on electric shock devices to be used on disabled, and in particular, autistic students, disguised as ‘behaviour correction therapy’. 

The GED device, created by founder of the Judge Rotenberg Educational Centre for the sole use of its students, emits a 90 mA shock, is more painful than a taser, and has been proven to cause neuropathy, psychological trauma, third degree burns and tissue damage.

This “behavior correction” is used when students stand without permission, make involuntary noises that they can’t control, say no, use the toilet without permission, wet themselves for not being allowed to use the toilet, or stop their work for more than ten seconds. A recent video released showed a student being shocked due to not wanting to take his jacket off- resulting in the student being tied face down to a four post bed and shocked 31 times over a seven hour period- the last 30 of those shocks being due to his pain response to the first. Despite third degree burns, acute stress disorder and hospitalisation afterwards, no action was taken, as it was all perfectly legal.

Electrocution is only one of the various methods this centre uses, it’s other violations to human rights including physical abuse, restraints, sensory deprivation, isolation, withholding food, restraint bars, and the murder of five of their students.

These human beings are not being treated, they are being punished for existing.

We are being murdered by the same people that claim to help us, and are living in a culture where animal abuse is illegal, but the same devices being used on autistic people is ‘beneficial’ and ‘necessary’.

We have been fighting for disability rights for long enough, we have been screaming with unheard voices for too long.

Enough is enough. We are so goddamn tired of fighting for our right to exist.

We demand an end to inhumane torture practices, and demand those in charge reassess the situation.