The Politics of Autism discusses the problems of wandering and day-to-day safety.
- Purple Alerts are a public notification system designed to help locate adults with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities who have gone missing. These individuals are not currently covered by existing alert systems, such as Amber Alerts or Silver Alerts.
- Addressing a critical gap in existing state alert systems, Purple Alerts ensure that intellectually disabled adults who are reported missing receive appropriate attention and that the public is aware of the specific circumstances.
- Currently, only five states (Florida, Maryland, Kansas, Mississippi, and Connecticut) have enacted Purple Alert systems.
- Purple Alerts can also inform law enforcement about the nature of a missing person’s disability. This can help enable a more appropriate and calm interaction when the person is located.
The Washington State Senate passed a bill that could make it easier to find missing people who are vulnerable adults or have disabilities.The “Purple Alert,” also known as Senate Bill 6070, was passed unanimously on Thursday.The alert could help to find missing people after a group of High School Seniors at Lake Washington High School advocated for the bill.The bill will establish an alert system for people with disabilities and vulnerable adults.Lawmakers hope the alert will help quickly find missing people.It will be similar to alerts for older people who go missing.The bill is headed to the state legislature’s House of Representatives.
From the Washington Autism Alliance: on Why SB 6070 Matters
- Clear standards for danger Families and law enforcement currently lack consistent guidance on when a missing person is truly endangered. SB 6070 clearly defines high-risk situations, including when someone has a developmental disability, dementia, serious mental health crisis, suicidal ideation, or other conditions that prevent safe self-care.
- Faster action when it counts The bill clarifies when courts may authorize rapid action to locate a missing endangered person, ensuring help is not delayed by uncertainty during life-threatening situations.
- Focus on the most vulnerable SB 6070 centers those at the greatest risk when missing, including minors, vulnerable adults, people with developmental disabilities, individuals experiencing acute mental health crises, and people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.
- Strong guardrails and accountability This bill includes strict limits on how tools may be used, requires court approval or rapid post-use judicial review in emergencies, limits data collection to what is necessary, and requires deletion of non-relevant information. The focus remains on recovery and safety, not surveillance.
The proposal was inspired by the disappearance of 21-year-old Jonathan Hoang, who has the mental capacity of a 9-year-old and vanished last March. His family believes foul play may be involved. “It’s very likely he was abducted,” said his sister, Irene Pfister.
For nearly a year, the Hoang family has lived without answers. “They told me and my parents, ‘It’s not a crime to go missing,’” said Pfister. She described the emotional toll of his disappearance, saying, “Just to wake up one morning and someone you love, they’re gone with no, no sign, no trace, and like, it’s like he’s disappeared off the face of the Earth.”
Although adults with autism who go missing in Washington are eligible for an Endangered Missing Persons Advisory, Hoang’s case highlights what his family sees as confusion around how and when those alerts are used. “I think there is this misunderstanding,” Pfister said, noting that autism “is a spectrum, and it’s called a spectrum for a reason.”
In Hoang’s case, an Endangered Missing Persons Advisory (EMPA) was issued on the fifth day after his disappearance. Pfister believes hesitation stemmed from uncertainty over her brother’s cognitive abilities. “Despite our family sharing that he wouldn’t be able to get home,” she said.
The sheriff's office said the EMPA "does not trigger a mass notification system" such as a cellphone push alert, as an Amber Alert does, and that highway signs are only used when a vehicle is involved, which wasn't applicable in Jonathan's case. Considering the limitations, the sheriff's office said they decided to first lean into other communication tools to alert the public.
