Ottawa police officers to be equipped with braille badges

Ottawa police officers will soon carry wallet badges with braille laminates to make them easier to identify when interacting with people who are visually impaired.

The initiative, led by Ottawa police Sgt. AdamCoakley, isthe first of its kind in Canada, the Ottawa Police Service said in a news release.

People who are blind or partially sighted will no longer be worried that they may be talking with someone posing as an officer.-DianeBergeron, CNIB

Each overlay will indicate the officer's rank and the police service's main phone number.

"With more than 8,000 residents in Ottawa who are blind or partially sighted, the braille sleeve makes it easier to confirm we are police officers when interacting with people who have vision loss," Coakley said in the release.

Diane Bergeron, executive director of strategic relations and engagement with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, commended Ottawa police for paving the way for other police services.

"People who are blind or partially sighted will no longer be worried that they may be talking with someone posing as an officer," Bergeron said.

Police said the laminates will be available beginning next week for all officers who deal with the public.