Proposed Maryland law seeks to ease interactions between police and those with invisible disabilities

A bill being considered by Maryland lawmakers aims to make interactions between law enforcement and those with “invisible” disabilities safer.

Known as Eric’s ID Law, the measure would place a marker on the driver’s license or other identification card of someone who has a disability that can’t be physically observed, such as autism, a mental disability or hearing loss.

“Eric’s ID law was created to help save lives for people who cannot use their own voice,” said Eric Carpenter Grantham in a hearing in Annapolis on Thursday. He created the logo that would be placed on the IDs of people with non-apparent disabilities, should the bill pass and become law.

“I created the logos because my mother felt if I ever should be stopped by law enforcement, I might not be able to respond in the way police would expect,” said Carpenter Grantham.

Eric and his mother Linda came up with the idea following the death of George Floyd, a time when interactions of Black men and law enforcement were a major focus of Maryland and the nation.

“In looking at the way the world is today with law enforcement stopping people and not knowing if they have an invisible disability, some people don’t make it out of that situation safely,” said Linda Carpenter Grantham.

This is the second year the measure has been introduced in Maryland. The mother-son disability activist duo is even considering proposing federal legislation.

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