In July, we celebrate the advocates who brought us the ADA by demanding that people with disabilities should live in our communities, and not in institutions. However, over thirty years after the passage of the ADA, some of our community members still face torture at the Judge Rotenberg Center. We are closer than ever to seeing contingent electric shock banned for good, but we have to act now.

With last month’s vote, the House of Representatives passed the ban on use of electric shocks as a method of behavioral control in their version of the FDA amendments act — but the Senate still has to do the same. We must continue placing pressure on our Senators to get this bill across the finish line. Remember, they work for us!

Call your Senators right away! You can use our script:

My name is [your full name] , and I am from [your city] . I am a constituent of Senator [NAME] . I’m calling to ask Senator [NAME] to vote to pass the FDASLA Act with the language included which bans the use of electric shock for behavior modification. Only one institution in the country still uses electric shocks this way, and the UN found the practice to be torture in 2013. The FDA banned this use of electric shocks in 2020, but the DC Circuit Court overturned the ban on a technicality. The Senate has the power to stop electric shock torture through the FDASLA Act which now includes a proposed ban. Can I count on the Senator to vote yes on the current FDASLA?

This Disability Pride Month, let’s tell Congress loud and clear that we want to see them put in the work to keep us all safe and in our communities.


Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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