Disability News Service, Resources, Diversity, Americans with Disabilities Act; Local and National.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

State of Illinois Now Offers A “Person With A Disability Identification Card”

The “Person With A Disability Identification Card” was designed to help de-escalate potentially tense encounters with police or other first-responders. State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) sponsored legislation to create the cards.
“The basic idea of the card is a parent with children, or even young adults, or adults in general who are on the autism spectrum disorder can react differently to stressful situations than you and I,” she said. “It’s just an easy, simple way to draw attention to the fact that somebody might need to be approached in a different manner.”
The idea came from Indian Prairie School District 204 Board President Lori Price, whose son has autism.

The cards application is available through the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, and are offered to people with various physical, developmental, visual, hearing, or mental disabilities.

The cards include the person’s name, and the name and phone number of an emergency contact. The cards also can be used when applying for disabled license plates or parking decals, property tax exemptions, or reduced fees for camping sites at state parks.
               

Also the Illinois Secretary of State Office has a dedicated webpage for people with disabilities services:

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