TASH is an international association of people with disabilities, their family members, other advocates, and professionals fighting for a society in which inclusion of all people in all aspects of society is the norm. TASH is an organization of members concerned with human dignity, civil rights, education, and independence for all individuals with disabilities. We have over thirty chapters and members from thirty-four different countries and territories. Since our inception over twenty-five years ago, TASH has gained international acclaim for our uncompromising stand against separatism, stigmatization, abuse and neglect. We actively promote the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life. TASH believes that no one with a disability should be forced to live, work, or learn in a segregated setting; that all individuals deserve the right to direct their own lives. TASH 's mission is to eliminate physical and social obstacles that prevent equity, diversity, and quality of life.
TASH operates as a non-profit [501(c)(3)] organization under the direction of a eighteen member Executive Board. TASH's annual action agenda is developed through the work of twenty-six committees. This structure assures action planning that is responsive to the priorities of members and chapters.
TASH is a civil rights organization for, and of, people with intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, physical disabilities and other conditions that make full integration a challenge.
Our record of success is exemplified by legislative victories, landmark court cases, commitment to progressive scientific inquiry, dissemination of best practice information, and the encouragement of positive portrayals of people with disabilities in the media. We have been instrumental in shaping the Federal Rehabilitation Act to unconditionally include individuals with severe disabilities. We played an important role in the design and passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act which, more than any other legislative action, has galvanized the rights of people with disabilities. We have provided testimony and legislative advocacy in every landmark case that has established the right of children with disabilities to a free and appropriate education, the right of adults to live and work in settings of their choice, and the right of medically fragile newborns to life sustaining support and medical treatment. TASH 's positions on a range of ethical issues are made public through the dissemination of over thirty resolutions. These position statements form the basis through which we arouse consciousness and organize action.
A major issue to which we devote ongoing effort, is the abolishment of the use of aversive procedures to control the behavior of children and adults with disabilities. In public and private schools and in residential facilities across the country, people with disabilities are subjected to electric shock, sprayed with water, forced to inhale ammonia and ingest pepper sauce, and are pinched and hit -- all in the name of treatment. In a recent, well-publicized case, the director of one school acknowledged that students at this facility were sometimes subjected to over 5,000 electric shocks a day or physically restrained for weeks at a time. It is well established that it is not necessary to use pain or intimidation to change even the most difficult behavior problems. People with disabilities, by virtue of their disability, are often unable to speak out against abuses that would not be tolerated if they were imposed on the elderly, school children, prisoners, or even animals. TASH actively works to abolish the use of aversive procedures by exposing these abuses and organizing in support of protective policy and legislation. We were the first national organization to publish a statement calling for the cessation of such techniques and continue to take the most stringent position in the nation toward eliminating mistreatment of this type.
Although TASH 's work is often on a global level, equally, if not more significant, is the direct support we provide individuals with disabilities and their family members. We serve as a clearinghouse for the daily reporting of treatment that is unjust or that limits opportunity. We provide information, linkage with resources, expert assistance toward fighting inequities, legal expertise, and targeted advocacy. We bring to the assistance of individuals in need, the backing of our thousands of members worldwide and the support of a national organization committed to social justice for all people.
