Shain Neumeier

Shain Mahaffey Neumeier
Esq.
Born 1987 (age 30–31)
Residence Springfield, Massachusetts
Education

Bachelor of arts, Smith College, 2009

Juris doctor, Suffolk University Law School, 2012
Occupation Attorney, Activist
Known for Disability, youth, and transgender rights activism
Home town Pasadena, California
Partner(s) Lydia Brown
Parent(s)
Awards Leadership in Advocacy Award, Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Honours Phi Delta Phi

Shain Mahaffey Neumeier (born 1987) is an American autistic and nonbinary transgender activist and attorney from Los Angeles, California.[1][2][3][4][5] An activist for disability rights, youth liberation, asexuality, and transgender rights, Neumeier was diagnosed as autistic in 2010 while a law student.[6] They also have other disabilities including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, cleft lip and palate, and ectodermal dysplasia.[5][7][8] Neumeier endorses pro-choice activism while also strongly opposing contemporary eugenics, such as the idea that people should avoid bringing pregnancies to term where the fetus might have a disability once born.[7]

Neumeier is best known for advocacy against coercive and forced treatment, including advocacy to close the Judge Rotenberg Center, an institution for people with developmental disabilities known for use of electric skin shock aversive treatment.[2][9][10]

Biography

Neumeier is best known for advocacy against coercive and forced treatment, including advocacy to close the Judge Rotenberg Center, an institution for people with developmental disabilities known for use of electric skin shock aversive treatment.[11][2][9] The Judge Rotenberg Center has been a major issue of contention in the autism rights movement, with many neurodiversity and disability rights organizations condemning the electric skin shock aversive treatment as inhumane, while its supporters, who may be parents, former residents, or clinicians, believe that the treatments are beneficial and life-saving.[10][12][13] In 2012, Neumeier attended a medical malpractice trial against the Judge Rotenberg Center brought by former resident Andre McCollins, who received 31 shocks over a period of six hours.[14][15] Neumeier published a series of seven articles for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network about the trial testimony, including an account of the first instance that video of the electric skin shocks was made available for public viewing.[14][16][17][18][19][20][21] Neumeier also testified at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2014 public hearing on a proposal to ban electric shock treatments for behavioral modification of people with developmental disabilities.[22][23] In 2016, Neumeier published an op-ed in USA Today calling for a final ban on the electric shock aversives.[24] Neumeier opposes use of electric skin shock aversive treatment as a form of torture, and believes its use is connected to the behavioral modification goals of applied behavior analysis, a widely used form of early intervention treatment for autism.[13]

While a law student, Neumeier authored a pamphlet on the use of restraint and seclusion on special education students in Massachusetts public schools, as an intern for the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee.[25] After graduating from Smith College[26] and Suffolk University Law School, Neumeier worked on youth rights policy issues for the Community Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of Youth.[27] Neumeier represented CAFETY at an industry conference of children's and youth behavioral modification residential treatment programs hosted by the American Association of Children’s Residential Centers, at which Neumeier advocated against the use of what they described as "fear-based marketing techniques" advertising quick fixes for challenging behavior and for more stringent regulations on treatment programs for youth.[28] In December 2013, upon invitation by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Neumeier joined CAFETY's Executive Director Kathryn Whitehead for an expert consultation meeting hosted at the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment in health-care settings with international human rights organizations, and delivered a presentation on systemic patterns of abuses in youth residential treatment programs, which CAFETY refers to as the troubled teen industry.[29]

Later as an attorney, Neumeier worked for Disability Rights New York, a statewide protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities, before going into solo practice in Massachusetts.[30][31] Neumeier is also an adviser for Supported Decision-Making New York[32], a statewide coalition focused on development of best practices and policies to enable people with intellectual disabilities and cognitive impairments to increase individual autonomy while receiving support for complex decision-making processes, such as financial, medical, or services eligibility issues. Neumeier is also an adviser and New England Region Leader for the Intersex and Genderqueer Recognition Project, a transgender rights legal and advocacy organization that works to secure legal recognition of nonbinary gender identities, such as through gender-neutral sex or gender markers on government-issued identification.[33]

As an advocate in the neurodiversity and transgender rights movements, Neumeier has spoken at conferences including the annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference at Yale Law School,[34] Creating Change,[35] the Autism National Committee,[8] Brandeis University's DEIS Impact Roundtable for Social Justice,[36] the inaugural Disability Intersectionality Summit in Boston,[37][38] and the Georgetown University Lecture and Performance Series on Disability Justice.[30][39] In August 2017, Neumeier delivered the keynote address at the National Empowerment Center's Alternatives Conference for consumers and peers with mental health disabilities.[40]

Neumeier has also written and commented on reproductive justice, abortion rights, and bodily autonomy for The Nation,[7][41] Rewire,[2][42] and NOS Magazine.[43][44] One of Neumeier's articles about abuse and discrimination against children with disabilities in the educational context was published in translation by Icelandic disability rights organization Tabú.[45]

Neumeier received the Leadership in Advocacy Award from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities in 2015.[46]

Personal life

Neumeier's father is Ed Neumeier, a screenwriter and director who created the film Robocop.[1]

Selected works

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
  • Neumeier, Shain, "Inhumane Beyond All Reason: The Torture of Autistics and Other People with Disabilities at the Judge Rotenberg Center," in Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking edited by Julia Bascom (The Autistic Press, 2012)[47]
  • Neumeier, Shain. "MTV's portrayal of teen treatment centers is misleading," in Teen Residential Treatment Programs (At Issue) edited by Judeen Bartos (Greenhaven Press, 2013)[48]

References

  1. 1 2 "Distinguishing Between Media and Reality". Los Angeles Times. 2003-01-15. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Activists Tell FDA Head: Ban Electric Shocks on People With Autism - Rewire.News". Rewire.News. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  3. ↑ "15 Autistic Activists You Should Follow This Autism Acceptance Month - Rooted in Rights". www.rootedinrights.org. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  4. ↑ Editor, Brooke Pawling Stennett, Digital Managing. "Clashing Communities: Autistic and LGBTQ individuals fight for their right to be both". Columbia Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  5. 1 2 ""I'm Not Done Living My Damn Life Yet": Disabled Queer People Speak Out on the American Health Care Act". Autostraddle. 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  6. ↑ Editor, Brooke Pawling Stennett, Digital Managing. "Clashing Communities: Autistic and LGBTQ individuals fight for their right to be both". Columbia Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  7. 1 2 3 Perry, David M. (2018-01-04). "Republicans Are Using Fear of Eugenics to Attack Reproductive Rights". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  8. 1 2 Autism National Committee (2015). "AutCom 2015 Conference Program" (PDF).
  9. 1 2 Adams, DL; Erevelles, Nirmala (2017-04-21). "Unexpected spaces of confinement: Aversive technologies, intellectual disability, and "bare life"". Punishment & Society. 19 (3): 348–365. doi:10.1177/1462474517705147. ISSN 1462-4745.
  10. 1 2 "The School of Shock". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  11. ↑ Perry, David M. (2017-09-13). "My Body, My Choice: Why the Principle of Bodily Autonomy Can Unite the Left". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  12. ↑ "The Shocking Truth – Boston Magazine". Boston Magazine. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  13. 1 2 Kirkham, Patrick (2017). "'The line between intervention and abuse' – autism and applied behaviour analysis". History of the Human Sciences. 30 (2): 107–126 – via SAGE.
  14. 1 2 Network, Autistic Self Advocacy. "The Judge Rotenberg Center on Trial, Part One | Autistic Self Advocacy Network". autisticadvocacy.org. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  15. ↑ "31 Shocks Later". NYMag.com. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  16. ↑ Network, Autistic Self Advocacy. "The Judge Rotenberg Center on Trial, Part Two | Autistic Self Advocacy Network". autisticadvocacy.org. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  17. ↑ Network, Autistic Self Advocacy. "The Judge Rotenberg Center on Trial, Part 3 | Autistic Self Advocacy Network". autisticadvocacy.org. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  18. ↑ Network, Autistic Self Advocacy. "The Judge Rotenberg Center on Trial, Part 4 | Autistic Self Advocacy Network". autisticadvocacy.org. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  19. ↑ Network, Autistic Self Advocacy. "The Judge Rotenberg Center on Trial, Part 5 | Autistic Self Advocacy Network". autisticadvocacy.org. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  20. ↑ Network, Autistic Self Advocacy. "The Judge Rotenberg Center on Trial, Part 6 | Autistic Self Advocacy Network". autisticadvocacy.org. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  21. ↑ Network, Autistic Self Advocacy. "The Judge Rotenberg Center on Trial, Part 7 | Autistic Self Advocacy Network". autisticadvocacy.org. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  22. ↑ "Regulations.gov". www.regulations.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  23. ↑ Food and Drug Administration (24 April 2014). "Summary of the Neurological Devices Panel Meeting April 24, 2014" (PDF).
  24. ↑ https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/05/16/skin-shock-ban-feda-disabled-autism-column/84438230/
  25. ↑ "Rappaport Center Spring/Summer Newsletter". archive.constantcontact.com. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  26. ↑ "Smith College: News". www.smith.edu. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  27. ↑ Autism NOW Center (June 2013). "An Autistic View of Employment: Advice, Essays, Stories, and More from Autistic Self Advocates" (PDF).
  28. ↑ "CAFETY's Report on the NATSAP & AACRC sponsored "National Gathering"". 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  29. ↑ "UN Meeting: With Your Support, International Recognition". 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  30. 1 2 "Panel Talks Disability Rights". 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  31. ↑ "Shain M. Neumeier - Rewire.News". Rewire.News. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  32. ↑ "Supported Decision-Making New York | Advisors". Supported Decision-Making New York. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  33. ↑ Intersex and Genderqueer Recognition Project. "About". Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  34. ↑ Yale Law School (2018). "Rebellious Lawyering Program" (PDF).
  35. ↑ National LGBTQ Task Force (January 2018). "Creating Change 2018 Program" (PDF).
  36. ↑ "Summary of Events | 'DEIS Impact | Brandeis University". www.brandeis.edu. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  37. ↑ Disability Intersectionality Summit (2017-03-10), Shain Neumeier - For Your Own Good: Coercive Care in the Lives of Marginalized People, retrieved 2018-05-17
  38. ↑ "Weekly Update from Disability Policy Consortium". myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  39. ↑ "Lecture & Performance Series on Disability Justice – Disability Justice for Georgetown". www.disabilityjusticegu.com. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  40. ↑ National Empowerment Center (3 August 2017). "Alternatives 2017 Program" (PDF).
  41. ↑ Perry, David M. (2017-09-13). "My Body, My Choice: Why the Principle of Bodily Autonomy Can Unite the Left". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  42. ↑ "'To Siri With Love' and the Problem With Neurodiversity Lite - Rewire.News". Rewire.News. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  43. ↑ "The Disability Rights Movement Must Be Pro-Choice". NOS Magazine. 2017-04-11. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  44. ↑ "New Compliance Tracking Drugs Violate Human Rights". NOS Magazine. 2017-12-19. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  45. ↑ Neumeier, Shain (May 10, 2017). "Afstofnannavæðið skólakerfið!". Tabú (in Icelandic). Freyja Haraldsdóttir (translator). Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  46. ↑ "AUCD - 2015 AUCD Leadership in Advocacy Award". www.aucd.org. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  47. ↑ Bascom, Julia (2012). Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking. Washington, DC: The Autistic Press. pp. 204–220. ISBN 978-1938800023.
  48. ↑ Teen residential treatment programs. Bartos, Judeen., Thomson Gale (Firm). Detroit: Greenhaven Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. 2013. ISBN 9780737761498. OCLC 930684586.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.