VCDR 2007 Legislative Platform

The VCDR Board of Governors votes each November to adopt the legislative platform for the coming session. Platform items are proposed by member organizations and occasionally, by committees.

A. ITEMS FROM PRIOR YEARS

1) VT Council of the Blind: Model Law Against Interference with a Guide Dog, to protect the rights of blind individuals and their guide dogs to safely travel within their communities without being obstructed, harmed, or killed due to harassment or attack by aggressive dogs - or by humans.

2) VT-DD Council: To establish a continuation of essential support services upon graduation from high school, necessary for Vermonters with developmental disabilities to function as contributing citizens in their communities, including the opportunity to acquire and maintain employment.

3) VABVI: $200,000 appropriation to increase rehabilitation and support services to persons who are blind and visually impaired.

4) VCIL: Defeat the “Death with Dignity” Bill. This bill is an insurance bill to protect doctors and insurance companies from any responsibilities if a “request” for physician assisted suicide goes wrong.

5) Parent to Parent of VT: $318,000 appropriation to assist families with expenses related to modifying a vehicle to make it accessible to children whose medical condition requires adaptive equipment and/or a wheelchair.

6) Parent to Parent of VT: $112,000 additional appropriation over the $350,000 current year budget for Dept. of Health/CSHN Respite Program for FY 2008 to bring the program to parity with the DS Flexible Family Funding Program.

B. NEW ITEMS:

7) Parent to Parent of VT: Case management;
A. Supports full funding for DAIL “Unified Services Plans” for all individuals who qualify.
B. Supports full funding for recommendations that come out of an internal AHS study to provide case management services to:

  • individuals just above the eligibility criteria for the developmental disability services (I.Q. =/- 70 and concurrent deficits in at least 2 areas of adaptive functioning or pervasive developmental disorders – PDD);

  • students transitioning out of high school who have been on I.E.P.s and received services at school, but now have no clear path or assistance available to them;

  • adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) who do not meet the criteria for the TBI waiver;

  • adults with physical disabilities and substance abuse issues; and

  • adults with mental health issues who do not qualify for the CRT program.
C. Supports providing an average of one hour a week of individualized case management to the 20% of families estimated by DAIL to require more individualized supports, estimated at approximately $350,000 per year.

8) VT Protection Advocacy: Vermont law should give students with disabilities the right to join with their class peers in activities and ceremonies like graduation, even if their IEP or 504 plans allow for them to continue their secondary education and complete their graduation requirements later.

9) VT Protection & Advocacy: Vermont law and practice should substitute a truly voluntary admissions process for receiving inpatient psychiatric services for the current process in which voluntary admission is conditional upon yielding one’s right to end treatment without several day’s notice.

10) VT Protection & Advocacy: Monitor legislation that may diminish the civil rights of people with disabilities and advocate for adequate funding for the services that make independent living and self-determination real possibilities.

11) Brain Injury Association - VT: To establish a trust fund to provide a source of revenue dedicated to fill in the gaps in services and support for people with brain injuries and to develop programs designed to reduce the incidence of brain injury in Vermont.

12) TASH: Legislation to limit the use of restrictive behavioral interventions and promote positive behavioral interventions in Vermont schools; to establish guidelines for reporting when incidents occur in which interventions exceed the limits; to establish requirements for training for schools and school personnel.

13) VCIL: Appropriation to increase hourly rate for personal care attendants, improve working conditions and provide health insurance. We believe these improvements in the work conditions will encourage people to choose personal attendant care as a profession. Cost not yet determined.

14) VCIL: Funding for the Youth Leadership Program. The State promised five years ago to fund the Program at $70,000. It has not kept its promise. VCIL has absorbed the cost for this valuable program for young people with disabilities in transition, but can no longer do so. Cost is estimated at $70,000.

15) VCIL: Requesting funding from the Office of Emergency Management to increase the capacity of its successful training program for first responders to include preparation for working with the Deaf and people with disabilities, who have been left out of planning for emergencies. Cost is approximately $30,000.

16) VCIL: The Home Access Program (HAP) provides entry and bathroom modifications for people with disabilities in their homes and apartments. There is currently a three-year waiting list of 195 people. VCIL has increased its efforts to find matching money for individual projects, raising over $100,000 in the past year from organizations and individuals to help decrease the waiting list. VCIL has had a difficult, if not impossible time accessing the CDBG set aside for this purpose. VCIL is adjusting this Program’s policies and procedures to further maximize its ability to serve more people annually. Cost to eliminate the waiting list is approximately $1,500,000.

17) RoVer: Transportation Appropriations under the Vermont Elders and Persons with Disabilities Transportation Program: 1) New funds to be appropriated for restructuring Acute Care Transportation Services to a statewide fund; thereby removing these critical transportation services from regional transit provider budgets. Acute Care Transportation Services are for elders and persons with disabilities who are not eligible for Medicaid Transportation Services and require transportation services for dialysis, cancer treatment, and other acute care medical treatment. 2) New funds to be appropriated to maintain two existing Ticket to Ride Transportation Programs and implement new programs over the next 6 years, with the goal that there will be Ticket to Ride Transportation Programs in all regional transit districts in Vermont.