The Arc of Bartholomew County’s new CommCard for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be available this summer to help such people better communicate with everyone from store personnel to medical staff to police.
Grace Kestler, executive director of the local nonprofit agency, said she got the idea from an Arc chapter in Oregon while she was attending an Arc national conference. The idea was discussed at the local Arc’s recent annual meeting in Columbus.
Money from two foundation grants will cover costs of the new project.
“The more communication tools that we all have in general is really beneficial,” Kestler said. “Whether we’re communicating with the person at the checkout line at the grocery store, the doctor, or even in a potentially dangerous situation like with law enforcement, it’s crucial to have a variety of communication tools.
“And that’s because many of us have a variety of communication struggles.”
Kestler said she expects to do an initial training with individuals with disabilities and medical and law enforcement personnel this month. Cards will be individually written to fit a resident’s situation, ranging from conditions such as autism to cerebral palsy. The idea is that the cards will help personnel immediately be made aware of a resident’s physical or mental challenges, movements, habits and the like so that one-on-one interactions can be more productive and understood.
The cards are designed for individuals with disabilities to present them to others when they feel a need for others to quickly understand their struggles.
“It allows individuals to retain autonomy over their needs,” Kestler said.
Kestler mentioned that that communication information becomes especially important, for instance, in an emergency situation when a person who might flail their arms because of uncontrolled muscle movement. A communication card could quickly assure law enforcement personnel that such a physical habit poses no threat or risk.
In other cities in recent years, some citizens with such manifestations of a disability have been shot by police misunderstanding the situation.
“We’ve never had anything like that happen here,” said Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department. “But some situations certainly could be easily misconstrued.”
Harris said communication cards immediately can clear up misconceptions where bystanders or police may wonder if a disabled person is intoxicated if they are not speaking clearly.
Harris added that interacting with people with a range of disabilities, including elements of mental illness, is a part of department officers’ annual training. Plus, he said the department makes a note when it is aware of residents with disabilities at various addresses so officers can be better prepared to respond to calls there.
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