MARION COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE INTRODUCES NEW PROGRAM FOR HEARING-IMPAIRED DRIVERS

MARION COUNTY, Florida (August 24, 2018) – The Marion County Sheriff’s Office

(MCSO) has just introduced a new program designed to assist hearing-impaired drivers interact with our deputies. Statistics show that nearly 3 million Floridians have some form of hearing loss. Realizing the potential for miscommunication during a traffic stop between the deputy and the driver, MCSO has designed a communication card to assist with this.

The program works as follows: MCSO provides the hearing-impaired driver with a special sticker to place on the rear of their vehicle which alerts the deputy to the fact that the driver is hearing-impaired. A visor card is also provided for the driver to keep in the car with them to present to the deputy during a traffic stop. This visor card uses pictures and phrases that both the deputy and the driver may point to in order to better communicate with each other. This will help ensure that the driver knows the reason for the traffic stop and will ensure that the deputy knows how best to help the driver.

Citizens may pick up these cards at any one of our district offices. Marion County Sheriff, Billy Woods said, “My goal is the safety of both my deputies and  the citizens we serve. I love Marion County and, I believe this is just one more way to ensure that we provide our citizens with the best service and quality of life they deserve”.

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