Vermont DMV launches program to assist autistic drivers

The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles recently unveiled a new program aimed at easing challenges for autistic drivers and the law enforcement officers who engage them.

Some autistic people experience the senses more intensely than neurotypical people: flashing police lights, for example. And there can be differences in communication, which can lead to behaviors being misinterpreted.

The DMV’s Blue Envelope Program is designed to make routine traffic stops feel safer and less stressful.

Vermont Public’s Jenn Jarecki was recently joined in-studio by Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Wanda Minoli to learn more about the program. This interview was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We’ve also provided a transcript, which has been edited for length and clarity.

Jenn Jarecki: So we described it briefly in the introduction, but broadly speaking, what is the state’s new Blue Envelope Program?

Wanda Minoli: The Blue Envelope Program is really simply about awareness for law enforcement when they do traffic stops, and it’s another form of communication for our residents. Our focus at DMV is customer service, and we’ve had to recognize that we deliver services to every resident at some point in time in the state of Vermont. And you have to be able to adjust and adapt in your communication with them.

Jenn Jarecki: Wanda, I’m curious about how the partnership between the DMV and the University of Vermont Autism Collaborative came about, and what role the Collaborative played in developing the DMV’s Blue Envelope Program.

Wanda Minoli: The Collaborative played the most significant role. They told us how it should be worded, how it should be designed, and what it looked like. And that’s based on their experience and how individuals — with an autistic spectrum of some type — communicate and how they communicate roadside. So they led us and we developed.

Jenn Jarecki: I understand that other states have similar programs, like neighbors in Connecticut and Massachusetts, to name just a couple. How much influence did that existing work have on what’s ultimately been rolled out here in Vermont?

Wanda Minoli: Well, for us, we used the other states’ model of the envelope and started there. Don’t reinvent the wheel. If there’s a successful program out there, then, you know, state to state, we try to model. And that’s really, really important because when you think about this program, and you think about our residents and our New England states, we don’t drive just in Vermont. We may take a vacation to Maine, we may be traveling to Massachusetts for something, and you possibly could be stopped roadside. And what we have now is consistent messaging for all law enforcement, and that applies for people driving into our state. So, when they hand the blue envelope over, all law enforcement is aware. They know exactly what they’re getting and what this document means, and that’s really important, too.

Jenn Jarecki: I want to press on that just a little bit, Wanda. You’ve said that you hope this program can, and I’m quoting you, “build bridges between law enforcement and the autism community.” Can you say even more about that?

Wanda Minoli: Building the bridges, again, is about awareness and communication. And when law enforcement is stopping someone — and we’re going to use a simple example for roadside — they are not aware. And every spectrum is different, you may not communicate with your eyes. Law enforcement is trained to communicate, you know, be looking at the individual, right, having that eye contact. And keeping it at that simple, simple level of, you know, this allows that officer to be able to do and be aware of the tasks that they have in front of them and the conversation. Because roadside stops are about conversations, generally, that’s where it starts. If you’re not aware at that point, the conversation can easily — for the passenger or the driver or the law enforcement — it can go a different way. And this is about a calming effect. This is about a tool to be able to communicate in a very comfortable manner.

Jenn Jarecki: What has the response from law enforcement been to the Blue Envelope Program?

Wanda Minoli: I have communicated with my team, and with the DMV enforcement team, and they’re very excited about it. Again, it’s awareness and it’s another tool. We sent out a law enforcement bulletin to all law enforcement entities in the state of Vermont: municipalities, Vermont State Police. I have not had any personal or direct conversations with them.

Jenn Jarecki: I’d like to talk about the blue envelope itself. Can you describe it for us, and what is written on the envelope and what its sort of purpose is?

Wanda Minoli: So the purpose is to put your necessary documents. If you think about it again, at a roadside traffic stop, a law enforcement officer is going to ask for your license, your registration and your proof of insurance. And so the document is something that you put in the envelope, you just place all of these documents in. But more importantly, too, it asks for an individual’s contact information in the event maybe communication is not, you know, going very well. It gives the law enforcement officer another avenue to help the conversation, and it’s as simple as that.

Jenn Jarecki: So, as we mentioned, the program rolled out earlier this month. Have you had any sign-ups yet?

Wanda Minoli: Oh my goodness, yes. I was so excited. I actually checked yesterday afternoon just to see how the requests were coming in and if we’re getting any online requests. And we had 175 as of noon yesterday [Aug. 21], which to me is remarkable. And in addition, we had two requests from other states. And so that alone tells me there’s awareness and individuals want access.

Jenn Jarecki: So for anyone listening, Wanda, who may be interested in getting a blue envelope, you know, what is the cost, and what might be the next steps?

Wanda Minoli: So, there’s no cost. There’s two simple ways to get the envelope. You can stop by any DMV branch office, you can walk in and we have available at the counter, and you can pick one up. Or you can go online, and you can just send us an email, there’s a direct link, and we will mail them to you.

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