Accessible Visor Card Improves communication between police and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities

Wavefront Centre for Communications Accessibility has collaborated with the Vancouver Police Department to produce an accessible visor card, to reduce the communication barriers between Vancouver police officers and people who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. The visor card is a milestone for our local communities to remove barriers to improve accessibility and inclusion.
The two-sided visor card was designed in a way to maximize the readability for people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. It is made with a durable waterproof material to cope with the rainy weather we experience in our region. One side of the card is for Vancouver police members to indicate their intentions in the stop, such as the need to see one’s driver’s license, and what type or types of violations have occurred, whether a ticket or tickets are being issued and how to pay or dispute the ticket. The other side of the card is for people who are Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing to communicate with police members.
Vancouver police officers will have access to the visor cards in all VPD vehicles with traffic members having them in their kits. Community members outside of the police department can access the visor cards from any of the three hearing clinics of Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility.