Program for Hearing-Impaired Expanded

From: Washington Post, DC - 27 Nov 2002

Deaf and hearing-impaired motorists in Virginia soon will have access to sun visor and wallet cards to help them communicate with police.

Visor Alert, started by Fredericksburg's disAbility Resource Center last summer, has been picked up by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and the state Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. It is expected to be implemented statewide next month.

The disAbility Resource Center has distributed more than 1,800 cards that notify police officers and others that the bearer cannot hear. The cards can prevent a misunderstanding when a deaf person interacts with a police officer during a traffic stop, crime scene or crash scene, said Arva Priola, founder of the program.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company