Mount Union raises awareness for Ohio’s Communication Disability Law

On Apr 23, 2022

Visitors hear about Mount Union's Spectrum Education Center during the facility's open house in September.

ALLIANCE – Avoiding eye contact, flapping one’s hands and displaying excessive stress or worry are signs of autism.

The behaviors can lead to miscommunication during traffic stops.

This is why Mount Union’s Spectrum Education Center is sponsoring Courage 2 Communicate, a public service campaign designed to raise awareness about Ohio’s Communication Disability Law.

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The law aims to reduce communication issues between law enforcement and people with communication disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy or those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

It allows individuals with medically diagnosed communication disabilities or those who drive an individual with a communication disability to voluntarily enter into a database that connects to the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.

“By registering your vehicle, that gives first responders a heads-up when they look up the tag that there’s someone in the vehicle that has a communication disorder, so it may be difficult to interact in some capacity,” said Kristine Turko, director of the Spectrum Education Center in Alliance.

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The law has been in effect since 2018.

“But no one knows about this opportunity to register their cars,” Turko said.

Roughly 1,300 license plates are registered with the state, according to Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. Meanwhile, the Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati reports that about 40% of autistic children are nonverbal.

Turko hopes to increase awareness about Ohio’s Communication Disability Law within Stark County. Spectrum Education Center will be sending stickers, window clings and additional information to special education directors in every school district in the county this month to help educate families.

The center works closely with Alliance City Schools, along with Brown Local and Canton City school districts, she said, and hopes other area districts will get involved in the effort.

What is Ohio’s Communication Disability Law?

Those with communication disabilities can fill out a verification form and get it validated by their physician, psychiatrist or psychologist to have their vehicle included in the database.

“What this does is the police officer runs the plate, it comes up on their computer LEADS system with an indication in very bright red that says ‘notice: occupant may have difficulty communicating with officer,'” said Kevin Miller, director of Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.

Miller said the idea came about when his son, who is on the autism spectrum, wanted to get his driver’s license several years ago. Miller was concerned about how his son would react if he was pulled over.

A friend of Turko’s had a similar experience when she was pulled over with her adult male son with nonverbal autism sitting in the car. Disruptions in routine can be difficult for people with autism, so Turko’s friend explained the situation to the police officer.

“(Her son) was so upset and anxious about the change in routine that he started to bang his head on the car when the officer took her license back to his car, and he tried to escape the car. You can imagine what kind of a situation that can lead to,” Turko said.

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities consulted various law enforcement agencies and disability advocates in devising the idea.

The law does not exempt people with communication disabilities from receiving tickets, he said, nor does it identify a person’s specific disability.

“Not every state (has this law), and it’s not national,” Miller said. “So, in other words, if you sign up here in Ohio, if you get pulled over in Indiana, it’s not going to come up. That would be something I would like to see later on down the road, but we’re taking baby steps here.”

Ohioans can also register multiple vehicles in the database. Miller said 526 individuals have signed up for the program, Miller said.

Turko said her goal through the Courage 2 Communicate campaign is to make more people aware of the law.

Mount Union launched the Spectrum Education Center several years ago to offer coursework and internship opportunities to students interested in autism advocacy and intervention. The center also provides professional development, intervention services and registered behavior technician training.

It sits in the former Stark State College satellite facility at 1725 S. Arch Ave. Mount Union started subleasing the building in 2021.

To participate in Courage 2 Communicate, contact Turko by email

[email protected] or call (330) 829-2830.

Those interested in registering their vehicles should complete the verification form found on Opportunities for Ohioan’s with Disabilities’ website and then bring the form to their licensed medical practitioner to validate the individual’s communication disability.