Florida has a new law designed to improve how police and first responders interact with people with special needs.
This law is called the SAFE Act or Safeguarding American Families Everywhere.
Gigi's Playhouse in Tampa is a safe haven for many people with down syndrome. Jessica Gonzalez said the best part is seeing her son Travis smile.
“It's really important to get the community involved, for them to learn. People with disabilities are people. They need to be involved, they need to be doing all the things that neurotypical people do,” Gonzalez said.
During the 2024 legislative session, Florida lawmakers wanted to make the state's highways a safe place for special needs individuals.
The new law adds a question to Florida’s motor vehicle registration form. It asks if a person has or is the parent or guardian of someone with a specific disorder or disability.
“Unfortunately, individuals with intellectual development disabilities or other forms of hidden, disabilities are often mistakenly perceived as suspicious when the behavior is actually associated with their condition,” Rep. Michelle Salzman said.
The word 'safe' shows up on the vehicle's registration and is available to rescuers who may be responding to a crash or traffic stop.
“My child, even though he is verbal, there will be a lot of things that he will not be able to communicate. So, the fact that the police officers are already going to have that information once they come up to the vehicle, I think is super important,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said this is a step in the right direction, but she would also like to see officers and first responders receive more training on how to interact with someone who has special needs.
The law includes intellectual disabilities along with diabetes, blindness, deafness and post-traumatic stress disorder. Drivers can update their information any time after the law takes effect on October 1.