‘Blue Envelope’ Program Aims To Help Drivers With Autism

One of the major concerns for drivers with autism is how they would react if stopped by a police officer.

Individuals with autism, as well as other developmental disabilities, are more likely to face law officers than any other population. Some of the communications between them may lead to incidents where people with autism are not treated well by the officers. In order to avoid such situations, a blue envelope program is implemented to decrease the circumstances where such a population could be misinterpreted by the police. This blue envelope will help officers recognize and interact with these individuals.

People with autism who drive and participate in this program are given blue envelopes that hold information about their condition, which they can keep in their car. They can show them to officers during any accidents or traffic stops. The front of the envelope provides information such as whether the person is verbal or not, while the back side has ideas to help communication go smoothly. Furthermore, there is a sheet in English and Spanish inside the envelope with contact information for people who can provide medical details about the driver. Additionally, the sheet also gives information to the police about behaviors that the driver may exhibit, which police may interpret as resistive.

This program is implemented in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Arizona, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The future plan is to offer this program to individuals in the community with disabilities like hearing impairment and anxiety.