Letter to the Editor sent to the San Jose Mercury News [March 31, 2009] about Psycho Donut Shop

The recent article by Chris Vongsarath, “Psycho Donuts in Campbell is a wild and crazy place,” (Mercury News, March 31, 2009) describes the ambiance of a new donut shop as “somewhere between classic Americana and completely insane.” The store capitalizes on the theme of a “fun mental institution,” complete with a padded cell where kids can take photos while wearing a straightjacket, a “group therapy” area, employees dressed in medical garb, and donuts named after psychiatric disabilities, such as Massive Brain Trauma. One might dismiss this donut shop as a harmless venture by young entrepreneurs trying to find a hook in a bad economy– but the ongoing discrimination, and stigmatizing of people with mental disabilities in the U.S. and globally puts a much darker cast on this questionable business venture.

People with psychiatric diagnoses and intellectual disabilities experience daily discrimination, unnecessary institutionalization, and marginalization. Groups like Mental Disability Rights International have documented widespread human rights violations, such as the ongoing practice of painful and dangerous electroshock treatment, the large numbers of deaths in mental institutions, and horrendous conditions in isolation cells. To make fun of this very real human rights issue for people with disabilities is unconscionable. How can one justify making a profit at the expense of the dignity and human rights of other human beings?

We in the disability community recognize that great strides have been made, such as the passage of the Mental Health Parity Act in 2008; however, enforcement of the human rights and civil liberties of people with disabilities remains a pressing global concern, evidenced by the United Nation’s recent adoption of the Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the United States’ failure to sign on to the treaty.

It might feel like a great leap from the United Nations to the “Psycho Donut Shop,” but consider if the donut shop mocked ethnic minorities, religious groups, the plight of people without homes, or people with terminal illnesses. Wouldn’t we all be outraged? Human rights are inherent to all human beings – we cannot afford to let the thoughtless actions of some erode the rights of others to live with respect and dignity.


Silicon Valley Independent Living Center
Parents Helping Parents
Council on Aging Silicon Valley
Santa Clara County IHSS Advisory Board
Sensory Access Foundation
Services for Brain Injury