In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday struggles facing autistic people and their families -- including safety on the streets.
Irondequoit families can now request to put up a sign in their neighborhood indicating an autistic child lives in the area. The state started allowing towns to put up these signs back in May and the town of Irondequoit just got the go-ahead.
Lawana Jones, president of the Rochester Autism Council, said she’s been looking into installing these signs for at least 10 years. She said she’s excited Irondequoit is leading the charge on putting them up locally.
“I think its important because not only are you making the drivers aware that there’s a child in the neighborhood that may wander out into the road, but it also makes your neighbors aware that you’ve got a child in the neighborhood that there are some safety concerns about,” Jones said.
Irondequoit town supervisor Dave Seeley said there are a few boxes to check to get a sign approved. The autistic child is under age 18, the average daily traffic volume in the neighborhood is less than 2,000 cars, the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or lower, and the street is residential.
