When Linda Grantham-Carpenter of Silver Spring was raising her son, Eric, she worried about what could happen if he interacted with law enforcement because she was afraid that her Black, autistic son could be misunderstood by police.
“When George Floyd was killed [in 2020], I realized that I have a son with an invisible disability. Should he be stopped by law enforcement, how could that play out? Maybe not good,” Grantham-Carpenter said, speaking of the Minneapolis man killed by police in 2020 during a press conference Thursday at the Maryland General Assembly House of Delegates office building in Annapolis.
But she said Eric, who is now 20, had an idea: What if people with invisible disabilities, such as autism, mental illnesses and hearing impairment, could have a symbol on their IDs to indicate their condition to law enforcement officers?
That idea led to proposed legislation, known as Eric’s ID Law, sponsored by Sen. Will Smith (D-Dist. 20) and Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, both of Montgomery County. It was first introduced during the 2024 General Assembly session but died in committee hearings. This year, the Carpenter-Granthams are hopeful the legislation will make it to the desk of Gov. Wes Moore (D) to be signed into law. Smith and Wilkins held Thursday’s press conference before hearings in the House and Senate on the proposed legislation.
“I created the logos because my mother felt that should I ever be stopped by law enforcement, I may not be able to respond in the manner that the police would expect,” Eric Grantham-Carpenter said during the press conference about the proposed legislation. “God has blessed me with the ideas to create special logos to be placed on IDs for people like me and my friends who have invisible disabilities, like autism, mental health issues, hearing impairment and all hidden disabilities … so we can be safe.”
The legislation would allow Maryland residents with certain invisible disabilities to “opt-in” to have a special symbol placed on their driver’s license or other state identification card by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). The legislation would also require the MVA to conduct public outreach about the symbol program and would require law enforcement officers within the state to receive training about the program as well as working with individuals with invisible disabilities.
“Across the country, we’ve seen tragic incidents involving law enforcement, which often stem from miscommunication and misunderstandings,” Smith said during the press conference. “Putting this demarcation on the license is going to break down barriers and assist people in communicating in times of confusion and miscommunication.”
Wilkins said she was excited to sponsor the bill because the idea came directly from constituents living with invisible disabilities.
“We have brought this bill forward on their behalf, from the grassroots power for the people,” Wilkins said at the press conference. “We need every tool at our disposal when it comes to public safety, to support our law enforcement officers when they’re having interactions with our members of the community who have invisible disabilities and in heightened, intense situations.”
In one change from the 2024 bill, the new legislation contains privacy provisions that would prohibit the MVA from sharing any information about an individual’s disability status outside of the agency. Smith said during a Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing on the bill Thursday afternoon that he amended the legislation based on concerns raised last year about privacy, as well as concerns about disability information being shared with insurance companies.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D), County Council Vice President Will Jawando (D-At-large) and councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large) also support passage of the proposed legislation. Jawando spoke in support of the bill at Thursday’s press conference, noting it is personal to him as the parent of a Black, autistic child.
“Our kids reach the point where they stop being seen as kids,” Jawando said. “That compassion, that empathy, goes down for our children as they age.”
More than 20 people, including emergency responders, testified in support of Eric’s ID Law at another hearing Thursday that was held before the House Environment and Transportation Committee. Among them was Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Chief Corey Smedley. He said the legislation would help first responders understand how best to help a person in distress.
“One of the mantras that we go by is to do no harm as paramedics,” Smedley said. “I urge you to really use your ability to make change and help us help some of our vulnerable populations in the worst times.”
Bill supporter Jasmine Nicholson told lawmakers she has several invisible disabilities, including bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, and that being able to display a symbol on her ID would make her feel more comfortable when interacting with law enforcement.
“Being irate at being pulled over could be seen as what it is: part of my disability, instead of being seen as adverse [to law enforcement],” Nicholson said.
No one spoke in opposition to the legislation at either of Thursday’s hearings, but some legislators said they were concerned the symbol could be used to target individuals with disabilities, or that minors who may have had the symbol placed on their ID by their parents may no longer want the symbol when they are adults.
Del. Robbyn Lewis (D-Dist. 46) of Baltimore City alluded to historical instances of repressive governments using assigned symbols to identify marginalized groups of people and expressed concern that an ID program could allow disabled people to be targeted.
Wilkins noted the bill contains provisions that allow individuals to opt in or opt out of the program and to have their information removed at any time.
“I think that we have to keep in mind that when we talk about individuals with disabilities, that they represent multiple identities. We all walk around with multiple identities,” Wilkins said. “Eric is a Black man, and he’s also a person with high-functioning autism. Some of his identities are very, very clear … some are not. This bill is offering an option for those who have invisible disabilities that they want to be seen.”
Eric and Linda Grantham-Carpenter are promoting their efforts beyond the General Assembly. They’ve shared their story on television on The View and on Sherri, a television talk show hosted by Sherri Shepherd. A documentary filmmaker who is documenting their efforts to get the legislation passed attended Tuesday’s hearings. Their next stop?
“We are now meeting with [members of the U.S.] Congress to make this available [nationwide] so that most people with invisible disabilities are safe,” Eric Grantham-Carpenter said. “This bill means so much to me.”
