ConclusionConclusion
Behavior, whether it is a baby crying, a toddler having a tantrum, an adolescent not coming home, or an older person not talking, communicates. Without the tool of speech, people with mental retardation are often driven to more drastic means (aggression, self-abuse, destruction, silence) to communicate their needs. These drastic means must not elicit drastic responses that cause pain and alienation, but rather must elicit understanding, patience and sophistication in translating their message.
Some people with mental retardation or other disabilities have dangerous or disruptive behaviors and may need considerable help to change their behaviors. Such people often live in settings that are isolated from public view. The objectionable methods used in these facilities have not been subject to public scrutiny. Only by bringing these acts of oppression into the public eye will needed policy changes and legal protections be enacted. As a society we cannot afford to continue to ignore these abuses.
People who are institutionalized or subjected to painful procedures are no less political prisoners than some of their counterparts in third world countries. We fool ourselves if we believe that they are institutionalized "for their own good" or that the use of aversive procedures is a necessary or conscionable part of their treatment. These people comprise a devalued segment of the population. Their plight is magnified by the nature of their condition which hinders their ability to speak out against mistreatment and makes them vulnerable to this abuse.
We cannot condone treating persons with disabilities in a manner that would not be tolerated if applied to other segments of the population. Anyone who is concerned with human dignity and with the ethical treatment of all people should express outrage at the continued use of behavior change procedures that cause pain and are dehumanizing.
This report calls on disability and human rights groups worldwide to publicize these atrocities and to take action against the continued abuse of persons with disabilities.