Visor Card Helps Police Interact with Hearing Disabled People

Traffic stops for deaf or hard of hearing people can be more challenging than for those without hearing disabilities. In order to remedy that and provide better service to those people, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Achieving Independence and Mobility Center for Independent Living (AIM Center) to enable deputies to effectively communicate with deaf or hard of hearing individuals during traffic contacts, according to a release from the office.

A visor card was created for deaf or hard of hearing people to present to a deputy during a traffic contact. The yellow, double sided visor card provides a warning on the front of the card that the driver has special communication needs. Also on the front of the card are several pictures for the deputy to point to in order to inform the driver of the reason for the contact. The back of the card lists different methods the driver may use to communicate, tips how deputies can make the interaction successful, tips for the individuals using the card, and several pictures the individual can point to request help.

The visor card was created by Laura Thompson, Communications Access Advocate for the AIM Center and Deputy Greg Shadle. Shadle is a 16 year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, who has earned a certificate in American Sign Language Interpretation from Waubonsee Community College.

“Communication is an important aspect of police work and situations can quickly go bad without effective communication,” Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird said. ” The creation and use of these visor cards will allow for effective communication and lessen the chance of a situation going bad.”

The visor cards will be available at the AIM Center located at 3130 Finley Road Suite 500 in Downers Grove, IL 60515 and the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office. The AIM Center provides leadership through training, community development and advocacy to enable persons with disabilities to fully participate in family, social and community life. Contact Laura Thompson at 630-469-2300 or Video Relay 630-984-4251 for information regarding AIM Center programs.

These cards are also being developed in other languages to meet the needs of Kendall County. The next edition will be released is Spanish.

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office is looking to partner with other law enforcement agencies interested in utilizing these visor cards. Interested agencies are asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office.