New law requires all law enforcement officers in Alabama undergo invisible disabilities training
A new law passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2023 requires all law enforcement officers across the state undergo training to deal with people who have sensory issues. Back in 2021, ALEA was the nation’s first state law enforcement agency to train and become sensory-inclusive. Now, the Cade Noah Act makes it mandatory that not just state troopers, but city police forces and county sheriff’s departments take a one hour course every two years to help teach them to positively interact with people who have invisible disabilities.
Birmingham doctors Julian Maha and Michele Kong wanted to educate others and shed light on the social isolation that families like theirs face while trying to spend a few hours out with their children. Dr. Maha says, “We have an older son who basically looks like any other child, but he is non-speaking. For him, going to public events was something he really enjoyed, but because of how he reacted by making noises and flapping his hands, he would get stared at and we would have to leave after ten or fifteen minutes.” Their now almost 16 year old son is on the autism spectrum, and just like one in every six people in the US, he has a sensory processing issue. Dr. Maha says, “These could be individuals who have had strokes, autism, PTSD – any of that and sensory challenges. Kulture City was founded to help people become aware of this and teach them to be accommodating and inclusive to these individuals.” The husband and wife team helped found Kulture City in 2014, and the organization is now providing free training and sensory bags to give law enforcement in Alabama the tools needed to help mitigate negative stimuli that creates a sensory overload in some people.
Montgomery County Sheriff Derick Cunningham says this additional training will help his deputies learn how to make evaluations instead of assumptions when dealing with people who are acting erratic or not responding in appropriate ways. Sheriff Cunningham says, “If a person is in crisis, you need to be able to know how to help. You might think someone is drunk when really they have low blood sugar or are autistic and not verbal or have some other problem. We need to know how to talk to people with issues like this, and that’s why this type of training is so beneficial to us.” The Montgomery Sheriff’s Department already undergoes Crisis Intervention Training on a regular basis.
