Do you need an ID for that?

 Do You Need an ID for that?

 

People with developmental disabilities are seven times more likely to have a negative encounter with law enforcement than are typical people according to the U.S. Department of Justice.   Add that to the fact that law enforcement receives little to no training on the best ways to interact with these individuals AND they often cannot identify that a disability even exists.  Many of these disabilities are invisible to the untrained eye.

It is not unusual for people with disabilities and particularly people with disabilities of color to receive inappropriate treatment from law enforcement.  There have even been instances of accidental death when law enforcement over reacts to what is typical behavior for someone on the autism spectrum.

One solution to this problem is the issuance of an ID card indicating that the individual has a disability that is invisible to the eye but is just as real.  The idea being proposed to the state legislatures is that drivers’ licenses be marked with a code indicating the disability in the case of a traffic stop.  And that an official ID card be developed to show law enforcement if stopped in other situations.  Proponents of the bill are VERY clear that if passed the process should be entirely voluntary.

The idea has received a great deal of support but there are questions being offered.   One of the first questions is whether having either the ID or the noted drivers’ license will require the expense of a medical exam.   Another issue is will acknowledging that an individual has a disability prevent him or her from getting the license.  People were also concerned that the ID cards could be easily duplicated and that a number of people would benefit that should not.  There was also the concern that if the designation were to be on a driver’s license there would be a requirement for a medical exam prior to receiving a license.

The people who are strongly advocating for this opportunity say that the important element is that it be entirely voluntary; therefore, if the designation was too onerous on the person, then they could choose not to participate.  There was also the concern that this would be another benefit available only to those people who could afford it and that many people with disabilities are among the lower income strata of society.

The bill did not get out of committee in the 2024 Maryland legislative session.  Advocates are pushing hard for it to move towards passage in the 2025 session.  Maybe soon there will be an ID for that.