There are 615,000 deaf and hard of hearing citizens in Virginia. Many of these persons may come in contact with police officers during a traffic stop, at a crime scene, or during a police investigation. The safety of police officers, as well as those who are deaf or hard of hearing, can be at risk when officers are unaware of this invisible disability and miscommunications occur.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Visor Alert program goals are to:

• Develop standard information cards for the deaf or hard of hearing population that provide recommendations on how best to communicate during law enforcement encounters; and
• Provide law enforcement with the training necessary to recognize and use the alert cards.

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

Through funding made available by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, and with the cooperation of the Virginia Department of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP) conducted a diverse focus group with individuals who have various types of hearing loss and communication access needs.

After determining the content of the information cards (designed for both wallets and sun visors), the VACP scripted a training video to explain the use of the cards for the user group and the law enforcement community. Additionally, the video highlights “best practices” for traffic stops and various routine law enforcement encounters with deaf or hard of hearing individuals. Members of the focus group and law enforcement officers from across the state participated in the video’s production. Lt. Governor Tim Kaine, who chairs the Virginia Disability Commission, participated in the video filming and endorsed the project.

VACP printed 400 copies of the training video, which contains captioned and non-captioned versions of the eight-minute production. The video was distributed to every law enforcement agency and training academy in the state as well as regional Deaf and Hard of Hearing offices. VACP also printed 10,000 visor and wallet alert cards, which are distributed to the deaf and hard of hearing through the Virginia Department of Deaf and Hard of Hearing regional offices.

RESULTS

Two benefits have resulted from the Visor Alert project:

• It provides the Virginia law enforcement community with a better understanding of the communication needs of the deaf and hard of hearing.

• It provides the deaf and hard of hearing with a better understanding of the need for caution and safety procedures used by law enforcement officers as they carry out their mission.