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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><h2>Some blind fans to experience Super Bowl with tactile device that tracks ball<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>ABC News<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>January 29, 2026</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Some <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vision-impairment-and-blindness">blind</a> and low-vision fans will have unprecedented access to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-60-de6f9a16d1ea33265f5bf1fd05d0a313">Super Bowl</a> thanks to a tactile device that tracks the ball, vibrates on key plays and provides real-time audio.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">The NFL</a> teamed up with OneCourt and Ticketmaster to pilot the game-enhancing experience 15 times during the regular-season during games hosted by the Seattle <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rams-seahawks-nfc-championship-score-4e15f973019b914ef6b414170017be4a">Seahawks</a>, Jacksonville <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jacksonville-jaguars">Jaguars</a>, San Francisco <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/san-francisco-49ers">49ers</a>, Atlanta <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> and Minnesota <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-vikings">Vikings</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>About 10 blind and low-vision fans will have an opportunity to use the same technology at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, where Seattle will play the New England Patriots on Feb. 8. With hands on the device, they will feel the location of the ball and hear what's happening throughout the game.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Scott Thornhill can't wait.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Thornhill, the executive director of the American Council of the Blind, will be among the fans at Levi’s Stadium with a OneCourt tablet in their lap and Westwood One's broadcast piped into headphones. He was diagnosed with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-madison-4cc7860b1f1e44cf9ce5eb3ee3a709b8">retinitis pigmentosa</a> when he was 8, and later lost his sight.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“It will allow me to engage and enjoy the game as close as possible as people who can see,” Thornhill told The Associated Press. “As someone who grew up playing sports before I lost my vision, I'm getting a big part of my life back that I've been missing. To attend a game and not have to wait for someone to tell me what happened, it's hard to even describe how much that means to me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“It's a game-changer.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Clark Roberts experienced it first hand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The Seahawks fan was invited by the team to attend its home <a href="https://apnews.com/article/colts-seahawks-rivers-score-7756e8549d24feaa0c63473f837902a5">game against Indianapolis</a> on Dec. 14 to experience the game with the OneCourt device that is the size of a thick iPad with raised lines outlining a football field.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“The device does two wonderful things,” said Roberts, who lost his sight when he was 24 due to retinitis pigmentosa. "It vibrates in different ways for different plays and through headphones, I was able to hear Seattle's amazing announcer, Steve Raible. Real-time audio is the real beauty of the device because usually when I'm listening to a game, there can be a delay of up to a minute or more and that can be challenging to constantly ask family and friends what happened.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Can you imagine how this can open up everything, not just football?"<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>OneCourt is working on it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>It has partnered with NBA and Major League Baseball teams to provide its devices at games and is in talks to make them available with the NHL, along with other leagues and sports organizations all over the world.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>OneCourt launched in 2023 after founder Jerred Mace saw a blind person attending a soccer match while he was a junior at the University of Washington.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The startup with headquarters in Seattle uses the NFL's tracking data from Genius Sports and translates it into feedback for the device to create unique vibrations for plays such as tackles and touchdowns.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The data is generated from cameras and chips embedded in balls, jerseys and elsewhere. The same technology is used by the NFL's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-combine-nextgen-stats-a4b297fb9fea88f9f2bbc843946a08a7">NextGen Stats</a> for health and player safety, statistics and gambling.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“It's a testament to the maturity of the product and our company that we have gone from delivering this to a handful of teams throughout the last year or two to having it at the largest event in American sports,” OneCourt co-founder Antyush Bollini said. “The Super Bowl is such an amazing event and now blind and low-vision fans can use our technology in a way they deserve."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Ticketmaster's funding for the NFL pilot went toward underwriting the device to make it available to fans for free, according to senior client development director Scott Aller.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“This is a very, very big social impact win,” Aller said. "We hope that we can make an investment like this in every single one of our markets.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>After some teams approached the league about improving access for all, the NFL has spent the past few months piloting the program and ultimately decided to have the device make its Super Bowl debut.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“It’s not lost on us that we have blind to low-vision fans and we want to do right by them,” said Belynda Gardner, senior director of diversity equity and inclusion for the NFL.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Gardner said the league has been very encouraged by the pilot and potential of this technology.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“We’re reviewing what we learned and evaluating how it can be implemented going forward,” Gardner said. “There aren’t any definitive next steps and we will use the offseason to determine where this technology sits in the NFL’s suite of offerings.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Thomas Rice, a Jaguars fans, who is blind, said he had a seamless experience with the OneCourt device at a game in Jacksonville. Rice picked up the tablet at guest services at EverBank Stadium and after settling in at his seat, he felt and heard football in a new way.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“When Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr., I felt the ball travel through the air," Rice said. "When Travis Etienne ran the ball, I could feel it happen along the sideline.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“It was like giving me my own pair of eyes.”<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Italy gets creative as it works to make art accessible for blind people<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>10TV (WBNS)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>February 4, 2026</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>ROME(AP) — On a recent weeknight, long after the swarms of tourists had left <a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/italy-colosseum-roman-forum-photos-923f4362ed6b64fce6b597222d81692e">Rome's Colosseum</a>, a small group of people walked around outside the darkened amphitheater, pausing every so often to take in a new aspect of its history, art or architecture with every sense but sight.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Michela Marcato, 54, has been blind since birth. She and her partially sighted partner were touring the site amid a new effort by Italy to make its myriad artistic treasures more accessible to people with blindness or low vision and enhance how all visitors experience and perceive art.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>As she listened to her tour guide, Marcato <a href="https://apnews.com/photo-essay/italy-accessible-art-photos-39cc67ce7165cb9f1a5296d34b0d373b">traced her fingers</a> over a small souvenir model of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rome-colosseum-emperor-commodus-passage-gladiators-6ef181a9dd8c4263827483aa17e1740e">the Colosseum</a>. She felt the grooves of its archways and rugged rubble of its crumbled side. What she hadn't realized before holding it was the elliptical shape of building.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Walking around it, I personally would never have realized it. I would never have understood it,” she said. “But with that little model in your hand, it’s obvious!”<o:p></o:p></p><h3>A different type of tourism<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Italy and its art-filled cities have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/venice-day-tripper-tax-ef31062e7a6b9e3c831d6a8b746eae1a">no shortage of tourists</a>, but they haven’t always been overly welcoming to visitors with disabilities. People who use wheelchairs often find elevators and doorways that are too narrow, stairs without ramps and uneven pavements.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>But in 2021, as a condition of receiving European Union pandemic recovery funds, Italy accelerated its accessibility initiatives, dedicating more attention and resources to removing architectural barriers and making its tourist sites and sporting venues more accessible.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The ancient city of Pompeii recently installed a new system of signage to make the vast archaeological site more accessible to blind and disabled people. The project uses braille signs, QR-coded audio guides, tactile models and bas-relief replicas of artifacts that have been excavated over the years.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The city of Florence, for its part, has produced a guide on the accessibility options at the Uffizi Gallery and its other museums, with detailed information on routes and requirements — including the presence of companions — for sites such as the Boboli Gardens, which because of their historic structures are not fully accessible.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>An inclusive tourism model doesn’t just honor the human rights of people with disabilities; it also makes economic sense. Nearly half of the world’s population aged over 60 has a disability, and disabled travelers tend to bring two or more companions, according to the World Tourism Organization.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>A different way to experience art<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Giorgio Guardi, a tour guide with the Radici Association, which has been leading tours of Rome for people with disabilities since 2015, said the aim of accessible tourism is to create an experience that is enjoyable for everyone involved, companions included.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>That often means slowing down, touching what can be touched and experiencing artwork with different senses. The association often organizes walking tours at night, when there are fewer people out and less distracting ambient noise at famous landmarks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>But it isn’t always possible for blind people to touch artworks, so guides have to get creative.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Take Rome's central Campo dei Fiori piazza and its imposing statue of Giordano Bruno, the 16th-century philosopher burned at the stake during the Inquisition for alleged heresy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The statue, which stands atop a large pedestal in the middle of the piazza, is too high for visitors to touch. On a recent nighttime tour of the piazza, Guardi encouraged his clients to instead assume Bruno’s position: Hunched over, wearing a heavy hooded cape and clasping a book with both hands.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>As one of his clients assumed the position, Guardi draped the cape over him. Others in the group lined up to touch the Bruno impersonator to feel the contours of his drooped shoulders, heavy with the weight of the Inquisition. Visitors who were deaf were also part of the tour, aided by a sign-language interpreter who recounted Bruno’s tragic end.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>A museum featuring art by and for blind people<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Aldo and Daniela Grassini, both blind, were avid travelers and art collectors who grew increasingly frustrated that they weren't allowed to touch art when they visited museums around the world. In the early 1990s, they founded what subsequently become Italy's only publicly funded tactile museum, the Museo Omero in the Adriatic coastal city of Ancona, where all the art is meant to be handled.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Named for the blind poet Homer, the museum features life-sized replicas of some of Italy’s most famous artworks, from ancient Roman and Greek statues to the head of Michelangelo’s David, as well as contemporary artworks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Touching something isn't like looking at it," said Aldo Grassini. "Not just because of the emotion it offers, but because of the type of knowledge that sensation provides.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Sight, he said, is an “overbearing sense that tends to monopolize reality,” whereas touch offers a different dimension.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“We love with our eyes and with our hands. If we are in love with a person or an object that is particularly dear to us, is it enough to just look at it? No, we need to caress it, because caressing gives you a different emotion,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>One of the artists whose work is on display at the museum is Felice Tagliaferri, who himself is blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>At his studio on the outskirts of Cesena, Tagliaferri points to a marble bust he sculpted of his late friend Angela. Tagliaferri recalled that before Angela died of breast cancer, he lay down in bed with her, caressing her bald head.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“When she passed away, Angela remained in my hands, and I recreated this sculpture thinking of her,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>Unpacking a picture of the sea<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Marcato, the woman who toured the Colosseum, and her partner Massimiliano Naccarato live in a smart apartment on Rome's east side whose living room is dominated by a huge painting of the sea.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Naccarato, who can see using his cellphone to enlarge images and with the help of special lights, purchased the painting to celebrate a professional award, and it has pride of place in their home. He installed a special light behind the work so he can see it better.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Marcato can’t see it at all, but she knows it’s there. And her own experience at the beach informs the way she enjoys the painting.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>For her, the painting recalls her love of the sea, “for the noise it makes, for the thousand different sounds it produces, for the smell you breathe in, for the walks you can take in any season.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>It is a sensory way of appreciating art that has absolutely nothing to do with seeing it.<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a name="x__Ohio_Channel_Testimony"></a><a name="x__Governor_DeWine_Announces_1"></a><a name="x__Central_Ohio_advocates"></a><a name="x__Disney_will_have"></a><a name="x__Hard_work_pays"></a><a name="x__Ohio_Governor_Mike"></a><a name="x__Knox_County_emergency"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine,_Lt."></a><a name="_New_project_in"></a><a href="https://www.today.com/parents/family/peppa-pigs-brother-george-deaf-rcna257543"><b>Peppa Pig's Brother George Reveals He Has a Disability. See What Makes Him Unique</b></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/new-programs-improve-traffic-stop-safety-for-drivers-with-disabilities"><b>New Programs Improve Traffic Stop Safety for Drivers With Disabilities</b></a><a name="_Columbus_Goodwill_facility"></a><a name="_Twelve_direct_support"></a><a name="_Ohio_nurse_to"></a><a name="_Controlling_Board_Approves"></a><a name="_Helping_and_Empowering"></a><a name="_Ageless_Tenacity:_Olivia’s"></a><a name="_State_Fair_Sets"></a><a name="_ODJFS_Announces_Funding"></a><a name="_How_CVG_passengers"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Announces_1"></a><a name="_Auglaize_County_Board"></a><a name="_A_Brief_But"></a><a name="_Prevent_Blindness_Ohio"></a><a name="_Boot_earns_Ms."></a><a name="_Ahead_Of_Crucial"></a><a name="_Work_Is_Improving"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Announces Grant"></a><a name="_Ohioans_with_disabilities"></a><a name="_Students_With_Disabilities"></a><a name="_Disabled_Ohioans_can"></a><a name="_Allen_County_Board"></a><a name="_Owners_of_Hinckley"></a><a name="_SOCIL_provides_adaptive"></a><a name="_Get_a_communication"></a><a name="_Making_Ohio_Destinations"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Marks"></a><a name="_Helping_Ohio’s_Businesses"></a><a name="_Governor's_Appointments_for"></a><a name="_Federal_funds_for"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Orders"></a><a name="_Northeast_Ohio_nonprofit"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Announces"></a><a name="_Ohio_Governor_Mike"></a><a name="_Ohio_State_Fair"></a><a name="_Statement_from_Governor"></a><a name="_Helping_Abuse_Survivors:"></a><a name="_OOD_Recognizes_National"></a><a name="_Condado_Tacos_receives"></a><a name="_12_New_Ways"></a><a name="_Ohio_Statehouse_to"></a><a name="_All_are_welcome:"></a><a name="_A_celebration_of"></a><a name="_K-9_gives_new"></a><a name="_Nashville_theater_company"></a><a name="_New_Hope_Industries"></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:36.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Source Sans 3";color:#0E3F75;letter-spacing:-.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-TW'><img border=0 width=624 height=3 style='width:6.5in;height:.0312in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DC974F.DE4EA9A0" alt="red line"></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><h2>Peppa Pig's Brother George Reveals He Has a Disability. See What Makes Him Unique<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>TODAY<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>February 5, 2026</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Peppa Pig's family has gone through some major changes in the past year — including welcoming <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUWnwUhkiIR/" target="_blank">a new baby</a> — and now the family will have one more adjustment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>"We’re embarking on an important new chapter, sharing the news that our dearest George is moderately deaf," commented the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUYIrzyDFBp/" target="_blank">official Instagram account</a> of the mega-popular animated show.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>"In partnership with the National Deaf Children’s Society and Hearing Loss Association of America, we’re airing George’s hearing loss story as he continues to discover the world in his own way — with support, curiosity and plenty of muddy puddles!"<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Curious about George's journey? According to <a href="https://people.com/peppa-pig-reveals-george-peppa-s-younger-brother-is-moderately-deaf-11899208" target="_blank">People</a>, fans can learn more about George's challenges during an episode of<i> </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PeppaPigTales" target="_blank"><i>Peppa Pig Tales</i></a> on YouTube that drops on Friday, Feb. 6. It will be the first episode told from George’s audio perspective.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Peppa Pig's Instagram account also announced a new YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PeppaPigSignLanguage" target="_blank">Peppa Pig Sign Language for Kids</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>In addition to featuring popular episodes of the show with American Sign Language and British Sign Language interpreters, the channel also has shorts with more of the family's adventures.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>George's story arc will begin on March 23 with an episode labeled "Hearing Loss," <a href="https://people.com/peppa-pig-reveals-george-peppa-s-younger-brother-is-moderately-deaf-11899208" target="_blank">People</a> notes. An audiologist, played by Jodie Ounsley, the first Deaf female rugby player to represent England, will test George's hearing and fit him with a hearing aid.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Then, George will start to experience sound — like splashing in puddles and the ice-cream van’s song — in a new way. He will also say Peppa's name for the first time ever.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Hasbro is releasing a George figurine that features the character wearing his hearing aid.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The National Deaf Children’s Society’s comment on the post highlights the importance of this development in George’s life for all of his young viewers: “Representation is vital for deaf children, helping to develop a stronger sense of self and supporting them with understanding their deafness. We can’t wait to see more of George with his hearing aid in the coming months.”<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><h2>New Programs Improve Traffic Stop Safety for Drivers With Disabilities<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>February 5, 2026</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Being pulled over by law enforcement while driving can be stressful for anyone. For those with mental illnesses, neurodivergences or disabilities, the anxiety is often amplified.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“I’ve seen firsthand how a simple misunderstanding can quickly escalate a routine traffic stop,” says Arkansas Rep. Dwight Tosh (R), who worked in law enforcement for 37 years.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Trouble can arise when an officer misinterprets certain behaviors as indicators of criminality, deception or a threat. Such mistakes can lead to harm to those with mental illnesses or disabilities or those diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder, including autism spectrum disorder.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“During a traffic stop, the first thing an officer is going to be paying attention to are the responses, the mannerisms and the eye contact of the person that has been stopped, says Capt. Daniel Grubbs with the Fort Smith Police Department in Arkansas. “If it is not what fits their norm, it’s going to raise their suspicions.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>But misunderstandings and harm are avoidable when officers have context, says Alastair McNiven, chief of staff of the Boulder Police Department in Colorado. “Lack of eye contact, unexpected or rapid movement, or a failure to respond to questions or verbal directions can all mean something very different when they are manifestations of a disability.”<o:p></o:p></p><h3>Envelopes and Dots<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>To make traffic stops safer for officers and drivers, localities and states are adopting enhanced communication strategies including envelope and colored-dot programs. Envelope programs provide drivers or passengers with a colored envelope they can show to officers to signal they have a mental illness, disability or sensory processing disorder such as autism spectrum disorder. The envelopes hold essential documents such as a driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. Printed on the outside are guidelines for officers along with simple instructions for the driver on how to present the documentation and what to expect during the stop.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Depending on the jurisdiction and the diagnosis, the envelopes or dot decals might be blue, green or yellow. Generally, blue envelopes cover those with communication or sensory processing disorders like autism spectrum disorder; green envelopes cover those diagnosed with a mental illness that may impede communication; and yellow envelopes cover those diagnosed with disabilities that may hinder communication.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Notably, the envelopes generally include a disclaimer stating that possessing one does not exempt the holder from having to follow the law, nor does it exempt them from facing consequences for breaking the law.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey and Tennessee have programs in which a yellow dot-shaped decal affixed to a driver’s license or the vehicle itself indicates to law enforcement that the individual has a medical condition that may impede communication. Some states, including Arizona and Florida, specify where the decal must be placed. For example, Arizona’s program requires that a “yellow decal with a diameter of three and one-half inches that reads ‘saving lives’ in its center, and an optional one-half inch border listing the issuing city, town or county, (must) be affixed to the upper left corner of the rear window of the program participant’s vehicle.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Other states, such as New Jersey and Idaho, are less specific in their requirements and simply note the presence of such decals on the vehicle should indicate a disability or medical condition is present.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Regardless of form—whether envelope or decal—these programs represent a straightforward way of signaling to officers that they might need to modify their communication methods.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“The (envelope) is an immediate visual cue for a law enforcement officer that things might not be as they appear and will provide clear guidelines for the best way to communicate with the individual in question,” McNiven says.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Thirteen states have adopted a version of these programs: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Virginia. Connecticut was the first to do so in 2020.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Local law enforcement agencies, including the Boulder Police Department, operate envelope or decal programs without authorizing state laws. A handful of additional states operate statewide programs through state agencies or boards:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><a href="https://azdot.gov/mvd/driver-services/blue-envelope-program-for-autistic-drivers" target="_blank">Arizona</a>: Through the Department of Transportation.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><a href="https://dsp.delaware.gov/blue-envelope-program/" target="_blank">Delaware</a>: Through a partnership.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/blue-envelope-program" target="_blank">Massachusetts</a>: Through a partnership.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><a href="https://www.summitdd.org/news/blue-envelope/" target="_blank">Ohio</a>: Through county developmental disability boards.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><a href="https://www.summitdd.org/news/blue-envelope/" target="_blank">Vermont</a>: Through the Department of Motor Vehicles.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Arkansas provides a green envelope to people diagnosed with a mental illness. The envelope signals to law enforcement that the driver may experience heightened anxiety or communication challenges.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The state added a blue envelope program last year for people with autism spectrum disorder. The envelope indicates that the individual may process information differently, need extra time or benefit from clear, direct instructions.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>‘Practical Tool’<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Envelope programs provide “a smart, practical tool” for law enforcement, Tosh, the Arkansas representative, says. “By giving officers clear information and guidance at the start of an interaction, it promotes patience, understanding and safety for everyone involved.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The programs are already having an impact. One Boulder resident told local police about using the program after someone broke into her vehicle. “This individual had picked up her envelope within a week of launch and was subsequently the victim of a crime,” McNiven says. “Her experience, after she handed her blue envelope to the responding officer, was that it dramatically reduced her anxiety and that it produced a change in the officer’s demeanor, increasing her comfort level in this stressful situation.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Law enforcement officers have also expressed appreciation for the program.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Having this kind of information at the beginning of an interaction gives them the confidence to proceed effectively, particularly in tense situations,” McNiven says. “Folks with invisible disabilities should not be subjected to inequity in police services as a result of that disability.”<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> Suzanne M. Hartfield Turner</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Ohio Legislative Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cleveland Chapter, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>P: (216) 990-6199<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>W: NFBOhio.ORG<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>