As reported earlier this month in the Des Moines Register, Iowa state law allows people with visual impairments to obtain a permit to carry a firearm in public. The debate looks at the balance between rights of the individual and concerns over public safety.
Iowa Became a “Shall-Issue” State in 2011
Until 2011, Iowa was a “may-issue” state, meaning the county sheriff had discretion when it came to deciding who should be allowed to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon. In 2011, state law made Iowa a “shall-issue” state, which took away that discretion. Now anyone who passes the requirements (including a background check and mental health history check) may get a permit. Because the law did not prohibit people with visual impairment from being eligible, they too may get a permit to carry a gun in public. In some cases, people who were not eligible for driver’s licenses are now eligible for gun permits.
Private gun ownership for visually impaired people in Iowa is nothing new, but being able to carry a firearm in public is. The number of permits issued to visually impaired people since the 2011 law went into effect is unknown, as statewide statistics aren’t gathered.
For and Against Iowa’s Gun Permit Laws
Those who stand behind the law point to both the 2nd Amendment, which upholds the right to bear arms, and to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, it is against the law to discriminate against people with visual impairment in many situations. As yet, no case has challenged whether the ADA is applicable in this case. Jane Hudson, executive director of Disability Rights Iowa, says that the term “visual impairment” isn’t specific, and cases should be judged individually.
Those against the law are concerned for public safety. Patrick Clancy, of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, is not convinced the law is smart. Sheriff John LeClere agrees, asking, “At what point do vision problems have a detrimental effect to fire a firearm?”
Another Iowa sheriff, Sheriff Warren Wethington, supports the law–even as he “acknowledges that there are limitations.” He stated that in some situations, a visually impaired person might have better aim than people with sight. He taught his visually impaired daughter to handle a firearm, and you can watch video of her firing a gun at close range.
Are Iowa’s Gun Laws Unique?
No federal laws prohibit visually impaired people from obtaining permits. State laws vary greatly and cover who may own a gun and how to get a permit (if necessary), and in most states, the visually impaired are not eligible.
In order to get a permit in Iowa, the applicant must pass a firearm safety training course, which they can do online. No physical handling of the firearm is necessary. Some states, like Missouri, do require a “live fire exercise,” in which the applicant must hit a target.
Both Iowa and Wisconsin have no laws restricting gun permits for blind people. Other states, like Nebraska, may not specifically ban visually impaired people from getting a permit, but the application process requires a valid driver’s license or a doctor’s note confirming the applicant has acceptable eyesight.
As for Iowa, there are no plans to change the law in the next year.
