Buffalo Grove Police provide visor cards for deaf and hard of hearing motorists
Submitted by Buffalo Grove Police Department
The Buffalo Grove Police Department announces the distribution of laminated visor cards for deaf and hard of hearing motorists. The program formally began at the Monday, June 18, Buffalo Grove village board meeting.
The visor cards allow drivers to quickly identify themselves as deaf or hard of hearing during a traffic stop. One side of the card features graphics to allow officers to communicate why the driver was stopped and what information the officer needs.
There is also a section that allows the driver to quickly communicate if they are lost, out of fuel, need medical assistance, have a flat tire or need a tow truck. The opposite side of the card provides communication tips for officers and allows drivers to indicate the most effective way to communicate with them.
The cards were designed through a partnership between the state of Illinois Deaf & Hard of Hearing Commission and the AIM Center for Independent Living.
The Buffalo Grove Police were contacted in April 2018 by the mother of a hard-of-hearing teenager who was learning to drive.
"The mother wanted to know if our police department provided any stickers or cards to alert officers that a driver may be deaf or hard of hearing. At the time, we did not offer anything like this," said Community Relations Officer Matthew Mills. "We then discovered the visor card that the state of Illinois and AIM-CIL had designed. It is arranged very well and provides practical information. This will be a great asset to both the driver and the officer if a deaf or hard of hearing driver is stopped or needs assistance."
Buffalo Grove Police officers and representatives from AIM-CIL attended the Buffalo Grove village board meeting to discuss and promote the program. The mother and daughter that originally contacted the department were presented with the first card to be distributed at the village board meeting.
The visor cards are currently available free at the Buffalo Grove Police Department, 46 Raupp Blvd., Buffalo Grove.