Deaf or hard of hearing people in Vermont now have a new way of communicating with police officers when they are pulled over. 

Hard of hearing Vermont residents will now be able to carry a 4 x 9 card with a very clear heading in bold stating “I am deaf or hard of hearing”.  Once handed, a police officer can see some easily quick communication tips encouraging them to make eye contact, speak slowly, repeat or rephrase if needed, and be patient. The card has other sections that have icons for what the officer wants too (license, registration, insurance, etc.) and violations the person has been pulled over for (speeding, seatbelt, and several others). There is also a help section that can be used by the driver to indicate what they need help for.

These cards become critical in ensuring communication goes as smoothly as possible between a law enforcement officer and a deaf driver. Even slight miscommunication could cause frustrations and may lead to some escalation that could have been easily avoided in the first place.

The visor card can be requested on the Vermont DMV’s website.See what the card looks like below, and check out the source link for more details.

Are there other scenarios where you think these cards can be helpful for deaf people?

Source: DMV Vermont

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