Vermont Center
for Independent Living

People with disabilities
working together
for dignity, independence
and civil rights.

Vermont Center for Independent Living

People with disabilities
working together
for dignity, independence
and civil rights.

Vermont Center for Independent Living

People with disabilities
working together
for dignity, independence
and civil rights.

Vermont Center
for Independent Living

People with disabilities
working together
for dignity, independence
and civil rights.

Vermont Center for Independent Living

People with disabilities
working together
for dignity, independence
and civil rights.

Vermont Center for Independent Living

People with disabilities
working together
for dignity, independence
and civil rights.

Image
As a member organization, VCIL shares this statement on inclusive Town Meetings. It is not acceptable to hold onto non-accessible meetings just because of tradition. We want a world where people with disabilities have full access to the political process.
VCDR Statement on Inclusive Town Meetings

For as long as Vermont has been a state, there has been Town Meeting Day—an opportunity for community members to come together and cast their votes for a shared future.

More than just a time-honored tradition, local elections ensure that everyone has equal representation to collectively address problems and create solutions. This belief is such an integral part of who we are as Vermonters that our state flag bears the motto “freedom and unity”.

Unfortunately, for too long, Town Meeting Day has not provided opportunity for equal representation including for people with disabilities, older Vermonters, those without access to transportation, and people who are unable to obtain childcare or time off from work.

The mission of the Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights (VCDR) is to advance the human and civil rights of people with disabilities to ensure full and equal participation in all aspects of community life and the political process.

At VCDR we believe that the ability to exercise one’s civil right to vote in local elections is an essential prerequisite to equitable access to life in Vermont.

Though the ongoing pandemic further uncovered and perpetuated deep disparities in many ways, it also provided unprecedented access and inclusion in others. One of these ways was shifting town meetings so that anyone could vote—whether they were able to be physically present in the room or not—via Australian ballot.

Earlier this year the legislature and governor worked together to enshrine voting rights access by passing and signing H.42 into law which gives towns the tools they need to make voting accessible to all. Unfortunately, the majority of Vermont's communities are not yet making use of these options and many people—especially older Vermonters and those with disabilities—will be unable to vote on all articles.

VCDR recognizes that community and democracy are both stronger when everyone is able to take part. That is why we are asking the 175 towns and selectboards listed below to reconsider how they might utilize the new provisions of the law to create an inclusive Town Meeting Day.

With Freedom and Unity, Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights

Individuals with disabilities wanting support in requesting reasonable accommodations to vote on Town Meeting Day can email, call, or text: kate@vcil.org or 802-224-1818.

Albany, Alburgh, Andover, Arlington, Athens, Bakersfield, Baltimore, Barnard, Barnet, Barton, Belvidere, Benson, Berlin, Bethel, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bradford, Braintree, Brattleboro, Bridgewater, Bridport, Brighton, Bristol, Brookfield, Brookline, Brownington, Cabot, Calais, Cambridge, Canaan, Charleston, Chelsea, Chester, Chittenden, Corinth, Cornwall, Coventry, Craftsbury,

Danby, Danville, Derby, Dorset, Dover,

East Haven, East Montpelier, Eden, Elmore, Enosburgh, Essex Town, Fairfax, Fairfield, Fairlee, Fayston, Ferrisburgh, Fletcher, Franklin, Glover, Goshen, Grafton, Granby, Granville, Greensboro, Groton, Guildhall, Guilford, Halifax, Hancock, Hardwick, Hartland, Highgate, Holland, Huntington, Hyde Park, Ira, Irasburg, Jamaica, Jay, Jericho, Johnson, Kirby, Landgrove, Lemington, Lincoln, Londonderry, Lowell, Ludlow, Lunenburg,

Maidstone, Manchester, Marshfield, Mendon, Middlebury, Monkton, Montgomery, Moretown, Morgan, Mount Tabor, New Haven, Newark, Newfane, Newport Town, Northfield, Norton, Orange, Orwell, Peacham, Peru, Pittsfield, Pittsford, Plainfield, Plymouth, Pownal, Proctor, Putney,

Randolph, Readsboro, Richford, Richmond, Ripton, Rochester, Rockingham, Roxbury, Rupert, Ryegate, St. George, Sandgate, Searsburg, Shaftsbury, Sharon, Sheldon, Shoreham, Stamford, Stannard, Starksboro, Stockbridge, Stowe, Strafford, Stratton, Sudbury, Sunderland, Sutton, Thetford, Topsham, Townshend, Troy, Tunbridge,

Underhill, Vernon, Waitsfield, Walden, Waltham, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Waterford, Waterville, Weathersfield, West Fairlee, West Windsor, Westfield, Westminster, Westmore, Weston, Weybridge, Wheelock, Whiting, Whitingham, Williamstown, Wilmington, Winhall, Wolcott, Woodbury, Woodford, Woodstock, Worcester.

Our Time in a blue box with Is Now in a green box below
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Vermont’s labor force was shrinking. But there is a group of Vermonters who can and want to work and who can help the economy recover from COVID-19. These are the 44,000 working-age residents with disabilities; but only about half of them are working.
When you work with us to meet our needs and acknowledge our value as equal contributors, you’re not only creating loyal and dependable team members, you’re creating equitable employment that positively impacts Vermont’s economy. Discover how with the
Our Time is Now Report.
Picture of the Our Time is now Report with the title on a blue background and a collage of people pictures.
VCIL believes that individuals with disabilities have the right to live with dignity and with appropriate support in their own homes, fully participate in their communities, and to control and make decisions about their lives.
Donate Now
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Individuals with
Disabilities
Learn More About our Services
A young woman with impaired vision sits in a colorful home, she is using the touchpad on her cell phone
Those Seeking
Resources
Find the Information You need
A very close up photo of Sarah Launderville. She has a big bright smile and writing on her face that says 'Disability Rights are Civil Rights.'

Welcome

As the Executive Director of the Vermont Center for Independent Living, I welcome you to our new and improved website. It is designed to be fully accessible and mobile-friendly across devices. It aims to provide clear-cut information on all of the important services that we provide and updates on upcoming events. In addition, I hope that it will serve as a portal into a better understanding of the world of independent living. People with disabilities should and can live independently and make decisions about our own lives. Nothing about us without us!

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