New Visor Card rolled out (Sept. 14, 2021)

front side of new visor card titled 'I am Deaf or Hard of Hearing' along with some communication tips below it for the police and icons to indicate communication preferences. back side of visor card with various icons for common automobile issues including violations, help issues, type of ticket, etc.

DOVER — It’s less wordy and communicates through more images.

Best of all, the redesigned visor communication card just might save a life.

A host of project partners attended a rollout ceremony in front of the Dover Police Department early Tuesday afternoon to extol the benefits of holding the card.

The automobile visor cards are designed to allow better communication between law enforcement officers and those who are deaf or hard of hearing during a vehicle stop.

Through an interpreter, Delaware Association of the Deaf President Feta Fernsler signed that, “I noticed that the old visor card used a lot of English.

“It was very wordy, so in the event of a traffic stop, law enforcement doesn’t really have time to sit and read a novel.

“Also, the driver may not be fully fluent in English, which is very common given that (American Sign Language) is their primary language.

“I wanted to make sure that the communication between law enforcement and deaf and hard of hearing drivers was as efficient and safe as possible.”

As to the redesign, Mr. Fernsler explained that, “We switched to the icons to represent what they would need to communicate most often to help reduce the stress level on both parts.

Read the rest of the article at (from Delaware State News) – https://baytobaynews.com/stories/updated-visor-card-facilitates-communication-between-delaware-police-and-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing,58454.

Pictures of the event can be found at https://www.delawaredeaf.org/about-us/pics/nggallery/dad-pics/visor-card-sept-14-2021.

News announcement prior to event – https://www.coastalpoint.com/news/state/new-communication-cards-designed-to-help-law-enforcement-deaf-hard-of-hearing/article_6a9ec894-14f1-11ec-b2bd-f3bc2af270d4.html.

 

** To request the new visor cards, contact Loretta Sarro at Delaware Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing or file an application which is listed at https://labor.delaware.gov/divisions/dvr/dodhh.  Deaf Outreach and DAD may have some in stock for use at events. **

 

The Deaf Mentor Program (Update)

Deaf Mentor Program Delaware Families with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children aged Birth-5

The Deaf Mentor Program provides families, with deaf/hard of hearing children, an opportunity to work with highly trained deaf/hard of hearing adult role models to enhance children’s language, social, and emotional development. The program is FREE for the families!

What the Deaf Mentor will provide:
• Ongoing interactions with an individual deaf mentor
• Use of National SKI-HI Deaf Mentor Curriculum
• Services based on family’s individual needs and goals
• A bridge between the family and Deaf community through events and activities

What you will learn:
• What it is like to be deaf in a hearing world
• How to create an accessible environment for your Deaf/Hard of Hearing child
• How to interact with your Deaf/Hard of Hearing child
• American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Culture
• First hand experiences growing up being a Deaf/Hard of Hearing person
• Communication choices, technology use, and educational placement

Who can sign up:
• Parents/Guardians of Deaf/Hard of Children aged Birth-5 years old
• Residents of Delaware

If you are interested in receiving deaf mentor services, please fill out the family intake form: https://forms.gle/yg9mmzz5bxChJ1Zd9

For more information, please contact Kathy O’Donnell, Deaf Mentor Coordinator at kathodonnell5@gmail.com

The Deaf Mentor Program is a grant funded initiative developed by the Delaware Statewide Programs for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind in collaboration with the Delaware Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) at the Delaware Department of Public Health (DPH).

PDF icon DE Deaf Mentor Program Flyer (Requires Adobe Acrobat PDF reader)