Disability Rights Florida Submits Comments Opposing the Use of Electrical Stimulation Devices on People with Disabilities

On behalf of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and the undersigned organizations we write to comment on the proposed ban on electrical stimulation devices (ESD). For decades, disability professionals, provider associations, family groups, consumer-run organizations, State legislatures, and even the United Nations have unequivocally disavowed the use of contingent electric shock for the care and treatment of people with disabilities.

The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) is the only program in the United States where these shock devices are manufactured and used, even for individuals with the most complex needs. Contingent electric shock is not “treatment.” It is not supported by modern treatment theories, and as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), devices like the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED) create a substantial and unreasonable risk of illness and injury with no reliable evidence of longterm efficacy.

"The use of electrical stimulation devices is cruel and incongruent with modern day treatments and supports for people with a variety of disabilities. We will keep fighting until this gets banned for good." - Peter Sleasman, Executive Director of Disability Rights Florida

Read the full letter we signed onto with other disability rights organizations.