Program bridges the gap between law enforcement & disability community

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Down Syndrome Association of Memphis recently held a safety event to provide training that bridges the gap between law enforcement and the disability community, with particular focus on autism, Down syndrome, and related intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The BE SAFE program was founded by Emily Iland. As a mother of a son with autism spectrum disorder, she noticed lack of education and teaching tools to help people with autism or other learning differences to interact safely with encounters with law enforcement.

Iland and Martine Hobson, Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Memphis and the Mid-South, joined Action News 5′s Andrew Douglas at the digital desk to talk more about the success of the program and why the impact is two-fold.

Watch the full interview in the video player above.

Copyright 2022 WMC. All rights reserved.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.