Colorado Springs teen starts petition for epilepsy awareness license plates
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- You've undoubtedly seen the wide variety of license plates available in Colorado -- a local teen did, and now she's aiming at getting a new one added to raise awareness of those diagnosed with epilepsy.
Kassie Spafford is a 16-year-old student at Pine Creek High School, and her mom was diagnosed with epilepsy and focal seizures a few years ago.
"She loses focus, she can wander off. So I want to inform people that it's different for everyone," she said.
Spafford says it changed her mom's life profoundly, and now she wants to raise awareness of those dealing with the condition. She says she was inspired by the state's license plates for breast cancer awareness.
"I think it's very unrecognized and that more people should know about it because it's so common," she said.
So Spafford started working with the Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado to come up with the design for the license plate, seen above, although it is subject to change. Now, she's collecting signatures to make the license plate a reality.
According to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office, you need 3,000 Colorado registered vehicle owners to sign onto a petition for a Group Special License Plate, along with non-profit status verification, a sample certificate with security features, and a few other legal documents.
Spafford says she started collecting signatures in mid-November and she already has half of the required amount.
"If we do get the 3,000 for it to stay people actually have to buy the license plates so that's another part of the process, it has to keep going," Spafford said.
Colorado doesn't have a law requiring a set seizure-free period, but drivers are required to disclose any disabilities that could cause a lapse in consciousness. The DMV can review license applications and have a medical professional determine whether or not an applicant can drive safely.
To sign the petition, visit this website.
Editor's Note: KRDO corrected a misspelling inside the license plate image for the featured thumbnail on this story. The original image is at the top.
