Nicole Waters loves driving from Pataskala to New Albany to visit her sister’s apartment. With her own car, she’s able to drive to work, play tennis, go shopping and get her hair done. 

That’s why she was motivated to get her driver’s license four years ago — to have the independence that fits her busy life.

Although she’s been driving since she was 19, for the past few months she’s been even more comfortable on the road. 

Nicole now drives with a blue envelope in her car that notes that she wears hearing aids in both ears and has anxiety. Participating in Ohio’s Blue Envelope program has given her peace of mind.

“If I get pulled over, I have everything I need in there,” she said. 

Now in 84 Ohio counties, the Blue Envelopes provide information to officers, deputies or emergency personnel to support a driver or passenger with disabilities.

Each envelope has space for information — such as emergency contacts and notes that help support the person —and is intended to hold a copy of the person’s driver’s license, vehicle registration, car insurance and any medical information that could be helpful in an emergency.

“A traffic stop can be stressful for anyone. When you have a disability that limits your ability to communicate, having all your required documentation in one envelope, reduces stress for the driver, passengers and law enforcement,” said Kelli Gothard, Special Projects Manager for the Southern Ohio Council of Governments (SOCOG). “Our main goal with this program is to make the communication with law enforcement easier for individuals with disabilities.”

Although the original Blue Envelope program started in Connecticut in 2020, it came to Ohio in 2024 in the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office.

SOCOG’s Southern Ohio Advocacy Group (SOAG) decided to bring the program to the 13 counties in its region. But it quickly became clear that residents were driving all over the state of Ohio  — the program needed to spread, Kelli said.

After applying and receiving a grant from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, SOCOG began printing and distributing more than 47,000 Blue Envelope packets to county boards of DD around Ohio.

Each one contains a brochure, a card that a driver can carry with them and a sticker for their car, alerting law enforcement that someone in the car has a Blue Envelope.

“Many families have told us that the Blue Envelope program gives them comfort knowing in the event of an accident, it can provide first responders important information even when they can’t,” Kelli said. 

The program comes at an ideal time as more and more people with developmental disabilities are exploring the possibility of getting a driver’s license. 

In Licking County, more than 435 people have worked with LCBDD to get their license over the past five years. In 2025, 110 passed their driving tests and gained more opportunities for independence.

When Nicole decided to get her license, she worked with a provider that helped her get a temporary permit, practice and take the test. 

Driving has allowed her to get to her job as an environmental assistant at Licking Memorial Health Systems and go to concerts.

A few months ago, her father saw a story about the Blue Envelopes on the news. They reached out to Tiffany Tom, Nicole’s LCBDD Service Coordinator, and she sent them one in the mail.

It’s a convenient way to keep all her important documents together, Nicole said.

“I like it because if something happens, I don’t need to try to find everything,” she said.

LCBDD staff members have been working in cooperation with the Licking County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement to spread the word that envelopes are still available. 

Although they can be beneficial to those with a developmental disability, envelopes have also been requested by those with other diagnoses — including communication disabilities and medical conditions. 

People supported by LCBDD should ask their Service Coordinator about the program. Envelopes can also be picked up at the LCBDD office at 116 N. 22nd Street in Newark between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact Anna Jeffries at anna.jeffries@lcountydd.org or 740-322-6911.

Additional information can also be found by clicking here. 

You can also learn more about ways to communicate information about a person’s disability to first responders, including Ohio’s Communication Disability Law as well as Keith’s Law, by clicking here.