Visor Card Helps Police Interact with Hearing Disabled People in Spanish

Submitted by the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office

In September of 2015, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office 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.

A 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 at to request help.

A recent new addition to these visor cards accommodates citizens who are deaf or hard of hearing, and utilize Spanish as a primary language.

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

The original visor cards were 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. With the assistance of the Spanish Department at the Oswego East High School, the cards were translated into Spanish.

The visor cards will be available at the AIM Center located at 3130 Finley Road Suite 500, 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.

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.