'Hostage' Ads Pulled

Okay, so I guess I really should make a post about this. The ransom notes ad campaign has been pulled.

http://thegimpparade.blogspot.com/2007/12/ransom-notes-ad-campaign-ends.html
http://crip-power.com/2007/12/20/victory/


As most people who follow psychiatric disability advocacy were aware, the NYU Child Study Center recently launched an ad campaign depicting children with psychiatric disorders (Autism-spectrum disorders were labeled psychiatric disorders for the purposes of this campaign) as hostages of their disorders. The advertisements depicted ransom notes sent by supposed kidnappers, including Autism, Bulimia, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=23

The Autism ransom note reads, "We have your son. We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning…Autism."

For obvious reasons- let's start with the many, many autistic adults who lead independent, productive lives and interact socially- the ad campaign quickly came under fire from people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities of all sorts. Parents demanded an end to the campaign, signing a petition which made the point that, "Individuals with disabilities are not replacements for normal children that are stolen away by the disability in question."

The blogstorm, petition, and many letters, emails, and phone calls to the NYU Child Study Center made the desired impact. The advertising campaign has ended, and an almost-apology that falls short of admitting that the ads were offensive is posted on the same website that announced the launch of the ransom notes campaign.



http://www.aboutourkids.org/about_us/public_awareness



In part, the announcement reads, "We hope you will partner with us to bring the issues surrounding child and adolescent mental health to the top of America's agenda. Work with us as we fight to give children and their families equal access to health insurance, remove the stigma that the term "psychiatric disorder" so clearly still elicits, and, most importantly, support the drive to make research and science-based treatment a national priority."

Remove the stigma? Excellent idea. Let's start by removing the idea that children with psychiatric disabilities are 'imprisoned' by their disorders, and next let's get rid of that drive to make research and science based treatment a national priority; at least, until ending discrimation against children, teens, and adults with psychiatric disabilities is a national priority. Continually researching cures for disorders does nothing to remove the stigma that says to classmates of a child with a psychiatric disability, "This child is different, is sick, is defective, is unsuitable to be your friend."




Congratulations to those who participated in the drive to remove the ransom note ads, and please write to the NYU Child Study Center to thank them for taking a step forward by listening to the people who are experiencing, firsthand and as parents, friends, and relatives, the psychiatric conditions depicted as hostage-takers in their campaign. Please also ask them to take steps toward recognizing people with psychiatric disabilities as individuals, rather than as patients and test subjects.