The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
mn.gov/disability-mn
Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

The METO Settlement

Self Advocates: Restraint

Interviewer: Do you remember ever being restrained?

David Donnelly: Yeah, a long time ago.

Interviewer: Why were they trying to restrain you?

David Donnelly: He took… and wouldn't let me get my own coffee.

Interviewer: Okay. So you wanted a cup of coffee.

David Donnelly: Yeah. They hold down on the floor and grabbed arm.

Interviewer: And they grabbed you by the arm. And how did that make you feel?

David Donnelly: Bad.

Interviewer: Do you feel that that was the right thing to do?

David Donnelly: It did not feel right to do, no.

Interviewer: So what should have staff done?

David Donnelly: Tell somebody.

Roberta Blomster: It's bad to be using it.

Interviewer: And why?

Roberta Blomster: Be… because it… it really can hurt people, you know, especially if they get it more than once.

Interviewer: And how should he be treated?

Brian Jensen: Be treated normally like you and me, and stuff, with the same respect, the same dignity.

<< Return to Index

©2025 The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
Administration Building   50 Sherburne Avenue   Room G10
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Phone: 651-296-4018   Toll-free number: 877-348-0505   MN Relay Service: 800-627-3529 OR 711
Email: admin.dd.info@state.mn.us    View Privacy Policy    An Equal Opportunity Employer 

The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

This website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,152,808.00 funded by ACL/HHS and $222,000.00 funded by non-federal-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.