McALLEN — September is Deaf Awareness Month and starting just a few months ago, Texas residents can now get their identification cards or driver license with a new deaf or hard of hearing designation.
The new option aims to improve communication between law enforcement, first responders or hospital staff and Texans who are deaf or are hard of hearing and started when McAllen ISD’s Liza Lara, director for the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD), brought up that there was nothing on state ID’s or driver licenses that indicate someone is deaf or hard of hearing at a conference with first responders.
“When I said that, kind of the whole committee that was sitting with us was in shock that there was nothing like that,” Lara said.
The statewide program sets up regional schools for deaf students that require sign language for communication. In the Upper Valley, the program works with 24 school districts and had about 329 students last year.
Getting in touch with the office of Texas District Representative RD “Bobby” Guerra, Lara, with years of experience working with deaf students as a teacher and in administrative roles in the program, helped write up Texas House Bill 3132 in the 88th Legislature in 2023 that gives Texas residents an optional designation on a driver’s license or personal identification certificate indicating that a person is deaf or hard of hearing.
Taking trips to Austin to speak on the bill, Lara brought up several reasons for why she advocated for the option such as potential dangerous situations where people have been arrested or detained because they were deaf and police officers thought they were being ignored.
“They occurred because there was no way for a deaf or hard of hearing individual to immediately show that they’re deaf and that’s why they can’t communicate,” she said.
Another reason was that a deaf or hard of hearing individual is not provided with an interpreter at times and that creates a miscommunication.
“If they have this on a state ID or a driver’s license, then there’s no excuse really for the state to say we didn’t know, and that’s why we didn’t provide an interpreter because it’s clearly there,” Lara said. “They can show it at a hospital, they can show it at a doctor’s office, they can show it when they get stopped if they’re driving.”
Three years later, Lara finally saw her advocacy put into real change with two of her McAllen ISD students receiving their state ID and drivers license with the option.
The two deaf students are siblings, Alexa and Luis Mar, who went to get their new ID’s with the help of Esthefany Rodriguez Regional Day School Program for the Deaf student support specialist who worked with the students and their parents to get the proper documentation and fill out all the forms.
The siblings are set to transition into adult life with Alexa recently graduated from McAllen Memorial High and set to start college classes at South Texas College in the fall with a plan to further her studies at the University of Dallas in the future.
Luis is currently a STRIDES program student which provides students with knowledge of the prerequisite skills for general employment as well as the means of obtaining those skills.
Loyda Mar, mother of the two students, said she feels happy knowing that they have the new identification on their IDs.
Alexa received her state ID and Luis obtained his drivers license.
With Alexa being able to communicate verbally and often helping her brother, Loyda feels better knowing Luis, who is autistic and needs an interpreter, can show people he needs someone to help him communicate.
“This is really helpful especially considering how I speak,” Alexa said. “People perceive deaf people as they don’t usually talk … but I’m able to communicate clearly most of the time but sometimes I do need a little support.”
Alexa said she feels nervous about being independent in college compared to having her support system in high school but is excited to start her new journey.
Rodriguez said she feels great seeing advocacy for the deaf community for the changes in ID’s resulting in a real change going forward.
“I’m very proud and emotional that we finally are able to have this new identification on their license or ID especially as they are getting ready to transition, are now going into college or becoming adults,” she said.
Her passion for teaching deaf students and interpreting was sparked when she took an ASL class at UTPA and did an internship with Lara.
“To have that in their license to be able to showcase, to law enforcement, at the hospitals that they require an interpreter, so that way they can also advocate for themselves, which is something that we strongly encourage,” Rodriguez said. “We’re very proud that they are able to go, especially that they were some of the first ones to get their ID.”
Loyda encourages other parents to get their children IDs with the identification as soon as they can which will greatly help them in certain situations.
“As a parent of a deaf child, you always have to stay a step ahead for whatever is to come for them,” she said.
She added she is very thankful for the help and advocacy from the folks at the program for her children and for the benefit of the deaf community for the future.