{"id":30114,"date":"2023-12-18T10:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T17:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/since-its-launch-in-2022-an-average-of-three-people-a-day-have-signed-up-to-get-colorados-invisible-disabilities-logo-on-their-state-ids\/"},"modified":"2023-12-18T17:15:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T17:15:00","slug":"since-its-launch-in-2022-an-average-of-three-people-a-day-have-signed-up-to-get-colorados","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/since-its-launch-in-2022-an-average-of-three-people-a-day-have-signed-up-to-get-colorados\/","title":{"rendered":"Since its launch in 2022, an average of three people a day have signed up to get Colorado\u2019s invisible disabilities logo on their state IDs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Rosalva
Rosalva Mireles, left, is photographed and processed for her permanent driver's license at a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Denver in 2018. In July 2022, the motor vehicles division began offering motorists with invisible disabilities the opportunity to indicate they have one on their driver's license. (AP Photo\/Brennan Linsley, file)<\/span>Brennan Linsley<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In July 2022, the motor vehicles division began offering motorists with invisible disabilities the opportunity to indicate they have one on their driver\u2019s license. It appears, perhaps to some, as the profile of a person with a small head on top, near the photograph. The DMV\u2019s website, however, describes the logo differently: \u201cThe \u201ci\u201d symbol from the Invisible Disabilities Association is the symbol that will be printed on the driver\u2019s license or ID card,\u201d the website states.<\/p>\n

Since then, nearly 1,100 people have signed up.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom July 1, 2022 to Dec. 1, 2023, 1,096 credentials have been issued with the disability symbol,\u201d said Jennifer Giambi, DMV communications manager, in an email.<\/p>\n

That means that since the program began a year and a half ago, an average of three people have signed up every business day.<\/p>\n

Colorado is the second state to offer the option, after Alaska, according to the Invisible Disabilities Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlaska is the first state to pass this much-needed legislation, followed by Colorado,\u201d the association\u2019s website states. \u201cIDA is currently working with legislators across the nation to advance this initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n

An invisible disability, as defined by the association, \u201cis a physical, mental or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person\u2019s movements, senses, or activities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The association\u2019s definition goes on to state: \u201c \u2026 the very fact that these symptoms are invisible can lead to misunderstandings, false perceptions, and judgments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado\u2019s program aims to interrupt a specific kind of misunderstanding: one with a member of law enforcement. When asked what disability a person can register, Giambi replied in an email: \u201cAny disability that would interfere with a person\u2019s ability to communicate with a law enforcement (officer).\u201d<\/p>\n

The symbol is the same regardless of the disability, according to Giambi, who stated: \u201cWe do not require that a person disclose the nature of their disability.\u201d<\/p>\n

To get the disability identifier symbol, a person would need to take a preliminary step before showing up at a DMV office: Coloradans need to have their health care provider fill out a page-and-a-half-long application \u2013 Colorado driver\u2019s license\/Instruction Permit\/Identification Card Application for Disability Identifier Symbol.<\/p>\n

The form asks for people to fill out their name and address and sign a statement that reads: \u201cI have a disability as defined in the federal \u201cAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990\u2033 \u2026 and the disability interferes with my ability to effectively communicate with a peace officer. I request that the Department of Revenue issue a driver\u2019s license, identification card, or identification document bearing a disability identifier symbol. I hereby authorize a Professional \u2026 to submit information to the Colorado Department of Revenue \u2013 Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) relating to my disability \u2026\u201d It also states the DMV will keep the information confidential.<\/p>\n

The form also has a portion for the health care provider to sign, which states that the person has a disability defined by the ADA of 1990 that interferes with the person\u2019s ability to effectively communicate with a peace officer. The health care practitioner signs above a statement that says they\u2019re either a doctor or a licensed provider.<\/p>\n

The new identifiers were mandated under a 2021 law sponsored by Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Democrat representing Commerce City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rosalva Mireles, left, is photographed and processed for her permanent driver’s license at a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Denver in 2018. In July 2022, the motor vehicles division began offering motorists with invisible disabilities the opportunity to indicate they have one on their driver’s license. (AP Photo\/Brennan Linsley, file)Brennan Linsley In July 2022, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[120,2045,28],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-30114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-colorado","tag-disabled","tag-headlines"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30114\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30114"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=30114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}