AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety has expanded its Driving with Disability Program to allow residents with hearing impairments or communication impediments to list those indicators on their state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards. The agency made the change in partnership with the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities.

Participants in the program now have the option to include a "Communication Impediment" indicator or a "Deaf/Hard of Hearing" indicator on the front of their driver's license or identification card. Previously, only the Communication Impediment option was available on cards issued under the program. The changes aim to improve communication between law enforcement officials and Texans with certain disabilities and health conditions.

The disabilities and health conditions that qualify under the program include autism, brain injury, cerebral palsy, deaf, Down syndrome, hard of hearing, mild intellectual disability, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and speech and language disorders such as mutism, stuttering, speech delay aphasia, and spasmodic dysphonia. The program issues the indicators on the front of the driver's license or identification card.

To participate, applicants must bring a Physician/Psychiatrist's Statement Form DL-101 signed by their healthcare provider, along with other documentation required by the department, to an in-person appointment at a DPS office. Appointments for program transactions can be scheduled online.

A webinar hosted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles provides information on how Texans can access all features of the Driving with Disability Program. The webinar is available to residents seeking guidance on program eligibility and the application process.