New law aims to improve interactions between police and people with disabilities

As we start the new year, a law takes effect that aims to protect people with disabilities. The Cade Noah Act was inspired by Rep. Leigh Hulsey's son who has autism. It requires Alabama police officers to take part in training that teaches them how to interact with people who have sensory needs.

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WVTM 13 "These are individuals that might have PTSD, they might have had a stroke before, they might be on the autism spectrum," said Dr. Julian Maha, emergency medicine physician and founder of KultureCity , a nonprofit organization that specializes in supporting people who have sensory needs.

Among the work they do, KultureCity provides training for first responders, including the Helena Police Department. "It is proven to save lives," said Brad Flynn, Helena Police Chief. "We saved lives less than two weeks after we rolled ours out in Helena." Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Through the law, police officers have to participate in at least one hour of training every two years, though many local departments were already participating in the training before the law.

Education Flynn said has made the difference between life and death. "All too often, law enforcement may accidentally interpret an individual with a developmental disability as being intoxicated or maybe possibly high on drugs or something like that, so we teach them what to look for and then how to safely engage and best help that individual," Flynn said.

WVTM 13 On The Go: Download our app for free While this law is new, KultureCity has been training first responders for years. Maha said the organization started in Salt Lake City back in 2020, but soon after, it was adopted by all state troopers in Alabama. He said it was the first state in the country to require all state troopers to go through their training..